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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket have confirmed that Dav Whatmore will stay longer with the national team after agreeing to extend his tenure on a four-year contract. Whatmore was roped in early this year to help the team prepare for the ICC World Cup that was hosted by Australia and New Zealand in February. His mandate will also include guiding the team to the next ICC World Cup to be hosted by England and Wales in 2019.

ZC managing director, Alistair Campbell, said the association was interested in a longer working relationship with the veteran coach who won the ICC World Cup with Sri Lanka in 1996.

“He signed an extension and should be here with us for the next four years. We are looking forward to a longer relationship with him,” said Campbell.

Whatmore is set to take care of the business when the team tours Pakistan next month.

Zimbabwe are also set to host India in July and then welcome New Zealand from the end of July until mid-August.

Zimbabwe are also scheduled to take part in the AfricaT20 Cup, which will be the African curtain-raiser to the South Africa 2015-16 season.

The tournament was launched yesterday and will feature provincial teams and three international sides — Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe — in September.

Campbell said negotiations with the Pakistan Cricket Board were still taking place as they need strong assurances about security.

“It’s not yet confirmed, discussions are still going on. There are few nitty-gritties that we need to agree on. I’m sure by the end of the week we will have come up with something.

“Security is the major part of the discussions and the logistics as well to make sure that everything is in place.

“We are also looking at the venues to be used during the tour. Everybody has to be happy with the arrangements,” said Campbell.

The national team has already begun preparations, though.

The players are currently off season and Campbell said training camps will be organised to keep the players fit.

“They are already training in preparation for the tour of Pakistan, in case everything goes well in our discussions.

“As I said before, it looks very positive and there is need to keep these guys occupied. They will probably play internal games before the Pakistan tour and then get a short break in June,” said Campbell.

The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed to the Pakistani media that the tour has been finalised.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan confirmed that Zimbabwe will be the first Test team to tour Pakistan since 2009.

“Zimbabwe is going to tour Pakistan for a week from mid-May. They will send a security team to assess the situation, following which they will confirm the tour.

“So they will come in middle of May and our efforts will be to host matches in Lahore and Karachi,” said Khan.

The schedule of the ODI series is yet to be confirmed. It could be either a five or three-match ODI series and two Twenty20 matches.

Khan did confirm that the PCB was in touch with authorities to have some matches at a venue in Karachi but sources said it could be the Arabian Country Club on the outskirts of Karachi or the Southend Club in Defence Housing Authority.

Khan said Zimbabwe would be provided with top-level security during the tour.

No Test team has toured Pakistan since March, 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

Khan said that the PCB had got special permission from the International Cricket Council to appoint Pakistani referees and umpires for the series and the matches would be given international status.