FORMER JAMAICA players Lyndel Wright and Robert Haynes are among several contenders who have applied for the posts of West Indies manager and coach.
Both positions become vacant after next month's ICC World Cup tournament in South Africa and Zimbabwe and the West Indies Cricket Board has been advertising the posts (internationally and regionally) since last year.
According to information on CaribbeanCricket.com, Barbadian Roland Butcher, a former England player, along with Gus Logie, a Trinidadian who has worked with the West Indies 'A' and Youth teams and is now on top to coach Canada at the World Cup, have also applied for the post as coach.
It is also said that Leicestershire coach and former player Jack Birkenshaw has applied and, along with Haynes, will be called in for interviews.
Haynes, Jamaica's senior team coach for several years, has guided the team to Busta International Shield, Busta Cup and Red Stripe Bowl titles in his stint after taking over from Rohan Kanhai.
However, insiders feel it will be tough going for the Jamaican who played eight one-day international matches for the West Indies. It is believed it will come down to a straight battle between Logie and the incumbent Roger Harper.
Meanwhile, Wright has been around the Jamaica junior and senior teams for some time and should be in the running for the manager's post.
Legspinner Wright, who played 34 first-class matches for Jamaica, will be up against countryman and strong contender Michael Hall, the Chief Cricket Operations Officer of the WICB.
CaribbeanCricket.com also reported that Hall was interviewed for the job yesterday at WICB headquarters in St John's, Antigua.
The website reported that it was not clear if Harper had applied for a contract extension but sources say the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has asked that the contracts of Harper and manager Ricky Skerritt be extended until after the Sri Lanka tour of the Caribbean.
The full board has put the extension proposal to the WICB executives in Antigua, meaning it is a formality that the Harper/Skerritt tandem will be in charge for the Caribbean visits of Australia and Sri Lanka later this year.
Under-pressure manager Skerritt has also reapplied for a contract extension and will be interviewed by acting WICB chief executive Roger Brathwaite before heading off to the World Cup in South Africa on Tuesday.
Former pace bowling stalwart and senior selector Joel "Big Bird" Garner, manager the West Indies 'A' on their tour of England and Canada, has also applied for the management post.
Barbados team manager Tony Howard and former vice president of sales and marketing at the Barbados Tourism Authority Calvin Hope are also believed to have applied for the post of manager.
