The process to find John Wright's successor formally begins on Sunday with the six-member committee, set up by the Cricket Board to select a new coach of the Indian team, holding its maiden session in Kolkata.
The meeting would not only deliberate on the CVs received mainly from the Australians, but could also consider some other former players, both indigenous and foreign, for the top job to fill the vacancy caused by Wright's departure three weeks ago after a successful four and half year stint.
Will India find the right coach?
The presence of three eminent former national skippers Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Srinivas Venkatraghavan has made the panel rich in cricketing experience, and the board officials are also likely to sound out the seniors among the present crop of players informally before deciding the name of the new coach.
"There will be no official meeting with the present players, but their views will be ascertained informally. We need to know their expectations from the new coach. After all, they are the ones who would be interacting closely with the coach," sources close to the Board said.
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The panel has been asked to shortlist the candidates and give its recommendation to the board working committee likely to meet later this month. "But there is no bar on the committee considering names of former players who are yet to give their CVs," the sources said.
Among the names doing the rounds as possible successor to Wright are those of four Australians -- Greg Chappell, Tom Moody, Dean Jones, Dave Whatmore -- and even two former Indian players Sandip Patil and Roger Binny.
Another former Australian captain Allan Border's name has cropped up at the last minute, with a top BCCI source confirming that he was in the running among 7-8 contenders.
Meanwhile, some cricketing circles felt that the board might opt to zero in on a player who apart from his batting credentials was also a good part time bowler.
The thinking is prompted by the possibility that the new coach would carry on the mantle till the World Cup 2007.
Moody, Chappell, Border, Patil as also Binny fall under this category.