Geoff Marsh to replace Kapil

Kapil Dev's continuance as India's cricket coach hung in the balance Friday amid speculation that Australia's Geoff Marsh had been sounded out to replace him. Indian cricket chief A.C. Muthiah said he had an "open mind" on hiring a foreign coach, even as he met Kapil briefly to probe the former all-rounder's mind.

"We could not talk much because Kapil had some business engagements to attend to," Muthiah told reporters here. "But we will meet again soon. We have a lot to talk about."

Kapil put his job on the line last week when he told AFP that the match-fixing and corruption charges again him and the "unprofessional" attitude of officials had put him off the game.

But Kapil left it to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to determine whether he should serve out the second part of his two-year term as national coach.

The BCCI, which was expected to take action against Kapil during its meeting on Sunday, instead authorised Muthiah to speak to the former star.

Newspapers reported on Friday that the BCCI had approached Marsh, the former Australian Test opener and one-time coach, to take over as the coach of the Indian team.

While BCCI secretary Jayawant Lele denied any such moves had been made, Muthiah said he had an "open mind" on appointing a foreign coach.

"I am not aware of it," Lele said. "Anyway, all this can happen only if Kapil Dev is not the coach."

Former New Zealand Test batsman John Wright, currently coaching English county Kent, is also being mentioned as a possible candidate.

Muthiah, who met sports minister Sukhdev Dhindsa on Friday to submit a copy of the newly-drafted code of conduct for players, said the fate of India's proposed tour of Pakistan later this year will be known soon.

"We will hear from the government in a couple of days," Muthiah said.

The tour was put in doubt after the government cancelled India's participation in the Sahara Cup series against Pakistan next month in protest against the upsurge of violence in Kashmir.

India is scheduled to play three Tests and five one-day internationals on its first Test tour of Pakistan since 1989.

Mail Cricket Editor