Keith Medlycott and James Whitaker have emerged as contenders for the role of director of coaching at Warwickshire.
The pair join Allan Donald, Mark Greathbatch and Andy Moles on the short-list of candidates to be interviewed within the next couple of weeks. Terry Alderman, the Australian swing bowler, also applied for the role but will not be interviewed.
Medlycott enjoyed a great deal of success as coach of Surrey. The 40-year-old led the county to three Championship titles and four one-day trophies before resigning at the end of 2003. He is currently the ICC's 'high performance manager' for umpiring standards.
A former left-arm spinner who was good enough
to win a place on the England tour to the West Indies in 1989/90, he had to retire aged just 26 after suffering 'the yips.'
Whitaker, 43, is currently director of cricket at Leicestershire and news of his application will come as something of a shock to his employers. As captain, he led the side to the Championship title twice. He also played one Test for England in the Ashes-winning side of 1986/87. Both he and Medlycott are high-quality candidates and must be considered serious contenders for the role.
Meanwhile, Warwickshire are still fighting the South African cricket board's decision to recall Makhaya Ntini to South Africa. Ntini has been told to report back for a training camp in South Africa next Wednesday.
" He's here at the moment and we're hoping he won't have to go back," coach John Inverarity
said last night. "He's keen to stay and we're keen for him to stay.
"At the moment I'm expecting him to play for us against Surrey. It looks likely that he will catch a flight back to South Africa on Tuesday night, but I hope he stays. An airport strike wouldn't go amiss."
That may prove to be wishful thinking, however. Last night the club were still trying to persuade Cricket SA to compromise their hardline stance, but more in hope than expectation.
The club are also hoping that England Test duo Ashley Giles and Ian Bell are available soon after the completion of the Ashes series. "But it may be that Duncan Fletcher wants to wrap them in cotton wool for three weeks, " Inverarity remarked dryly.
n Two players from Warwickshire, Moeen Ali and Nick James, and Worcestershire's Richard Jones have been named in the England Under-19 squad to tour Bangladesh in November and December.
SQUAD: Moeen Ali (Warwicks), Karl Brown (Lancs), Varun Chopra (Essex), Nicholas James (Warwicks), Richard Jones (Worcs), Andrew Miller (Lancs), Michael O'Shea (Glamorgan), Aaron Shingler (Glamorgan), John Simpson (Lancs), Chris Thompson (Surrey), Huw Waters (Glamorgan), Greg Wood (Yorks), Robert Woodman ( Somerset), Ben Wright (Glamorgan).
