On the day the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that 57 applicants had applied for the post of India’s head coach, Sport360.com has learnt that Dav Whatmore, the 1996 World Cup-winning coach with Sri Lanka, is one of the names on that list.

The news comes as no surprise considering that Whatmore is available to take up a new assignment after being sacked as Zimbabwe’s head coach following a poor performance at the World T20 in March.

The 62-year old former Australian cricketer has enjoyed stints with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Whatmore’s association with Indian cricket dates back to 2007 when he took up the position of Director of Operations of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. A year later, Whatmore was appointed coach of the India U19 team that clinched the World Cup under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

While Whatmore was one of the contenders to take up the India job in 2007 and 2014, he was overlooked both the times by the BCCI.

The biggest advantage that Whatmore has over his peers is his ability to understand the subcontinent’s cricketing culture.

The Australian played a pivotal role in transforming minnows Sri Lanka and Bangladesh into competitive units during his respective coaching stints, and his handling of younger players is well documented.