Dav Whatmore frontrunner for Indian coaching assignment

Chittagong, May 19 (UNI) Aussie coach Dav Whatmore is clearly ahead in the race for the Indian hotseat, though BCCI top brass today denied that they were in Bangladesh to talk to him.

While Dav Whatmore had told UNI, ''I have already conveyed my interest in coaching India to the BCCI. All I can say is I am ready for the challenge if the opportunity comes. I am as much ready to sink my teeth into problems and find out a solution as the BCCI would want me to.'' Whatmore coached Sri Lanka to the World Cup triumph in 1996 and guided Banlgadesh to a good performance in the last World Cup in the West Indies. .

The Sri Lankan-born Aussie said, ''I had a short discussion with Ravi Shastri and was satisfied with the outcome. The discussion was centred around how interested I am. I am satisfied with the initial discussion. I have said in the affirmative.'' The BCCI is also in a hurry as they have to appoint a coach as the team leaves for Ireland on June 20 for a tough ODI series against South Africa before heading for England for a full series.

Later Media Committee President Rajiv Shukla added: ''Yes there are a few names. The BCCI is approaching it with an open mind.

However, considering the availability of the best coaches Dav (whatmore) is certainly a frontrunner.'' Former Aussie captain Greg Chappell resigned as India's coach on April 4.

The BCCI last month constituted a seven-member committee headed by its president Sharad Pawar for selecting a new coach of the Indian team. The other members of the committee are former skippers Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and S Venkatraghavan, board teasurer N Srinivasan and joint secretary M P Pandove.

Though Mr Niranjan Shah said the team was not going to sit with Whatmore on the coaching issue, he said, ''If Ravi (Shastri) has talked then he will surely give me a report. And if (Dav) Whatmore wants to open a dialogue with me I will have no objection talking.'' A four member BCCI team headed by president Sharad Pawar, Secretary Niranjan Shah, Professor Ratnakar Shetty and Rajiv Shukla arrived here today on the invitation of the Bangladesh Cricket Board to watch the proceedings of the Test match.

Mr Shukla said, ''This is a goodwill tour. We have come to discuss our relations and strengthen them.'' Mr Shah added that among other things the discussion would also consider a tri-series featuring India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The coaches committee meet in Bangalore on June four to select the national team coach and the process should be completed in the next four days.

UNI