Former West Indies captain Carl Hooper and New Zealand opener Mark Greatbatch are among the candidates willing take up the job of Bangladesh cricket team’s head coach, officials said on Monday.
The position fell vacant after Englishman Richard Pybus refused to continue because of a contract dispute with the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
Bowling coach Shane Jurgensen acted as interim coach during the home series against West Indies, but officials said they are unlikely to stick with him, who primarily is a bowling coach.
The BCB recently floated an advertisement for the post but received a poor response, which prompted the officials to use their personal connection to look for an interested candidate.
Hooper and Greatbatch expressed their interests informally and are currently weighing up their options, said Jalal Yunus, chairman of the BCB media committee.
Yunus added that former Australian fast bowler Craig McDermott also expressed his interest, though the BCB is unlikely to call him for an interview.
‘He [McDermott] is very keen in fact. But since we are looking for a batting specialist as the head coach, I don’t think we would be interested about him,’ said Yunus.
McDermott is currently Ireland’s bowling coach and is understood to be shortlisted as Somerset’s coach. McDermott had also served as Australia’s bowling coach before quitting last May.
Yunus, however, refused to provide any details of their negotiation with Hooper and Greatbatch, two great batsmen of their generation.
‘All I can say is that they are both interested,’ said Yunus, without elaborating.
Hooper, a great fielder and decent all-rounder, who retired from international cricket in 2003. After his retirement, Hooper hasn’t had a major international coaching job. Two years ago, he was the batting coach of the Sagicor High Performance Centre in Barbados.
Greatbatch’s name was also discussed when Jamie Siddons quit as Bangladesh coach in 2011, but the BCB ruled him out as he was the coach of the New Zealand side that lost to Bangladesh 4-0 in the previous year.
The last date for submitting an application to become the head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team is January 25. The BCB, however said they are in no hurry as they have Jurgensen as an alternative for the Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe tour in March-April.
-With New Age input
