June 04, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 18, 1428

NEW DELHI, June 3: Australian Dav Whatmore has emerged as the favourite to edge out domestic candidates when an Indian cricket board committee meets to choose a new national coach on Monday.

“I hope we will finalise it tomorrow,” Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah said on Sunday. “Whatmore is 100 percent under consideration.”

India are looking to name a successor to former Australia captain Greg Chappell, who quit following the team's shock first round exit at the March-April World Cup in the Caribbean.

Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to World Cup victory in 1996, took Bangladesh into the second round for the first time at this year's tournament but chose not to renew his contract and expressed his interest in coaching India.

Senior board officials travelled to Bangladesh last month during the Indian tour to meet Whatmore.

The seven-member panel, which includes former captains Sunil Gavaskar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Ravi Shastri, will meet in Bangalore on Monday.

Gavaskar and former skipper Kapil Dev, head of the National Cricket Academy, favour an Indian candidate although domestic media have reported that senior players want an overseas coach.

“We will discuss with all members, there could be other names floating around,” Shah said. “But if available, we will go for a foreign coach.”

Meanwhile, Ajit Wadekar, the former Indian captain, has said that a local coach would be better suited for the requirements of the team.

He said that a foreign coach coming from a different cultural background generally encounters a communication gap while dealing with the team.

“Personally, I believe because of the Indian culture, psyche and varied backgrounds of the Indian players, they can subconsciously form groups. A foreign coach may not be able to understand the nuances or work ethics as well as an Indian coach,” said Wadekar.—Agencies