Moody for Sri Lanka?

In the latest twist to the hunt for a new coach, Tom Moody has emerged as the frontline contender to take on the post in Sri Lanka. According to local newspaper reports, Moody, the director of cricket in Worcestershire, has already been approached and agreed in principle, although terms and conditions have not yet been finalised. Moody was also one of the chief candidates for the Indian coaching role.

The Daily Mirror claimed that Chaminda Vaas, currently playing for Worcestshire, was bullish about Moody's credentials and Jayantha Dharmadasa, the new Sri Lanka Cricket chairman, said: "There is a very positive response from the players about our choice and we are currently discussing terms and conditions with him."

However, when Cricinfo contacted Dharmadasa he cooled the Moody speculation, saying that his government-appointed committee was still talking to "four to five candidates and that nothing was yet confirmed." Sri Lanka have also been targetting Steve Waugh, but he ruled out a fulltime coaching assignment last week.

Earlier in the month, Dharmadasa had appeared to rule out a fresh contract for John Dyson, whose contract expired after Sri Lanka's recent New Zealand tour, by claiming that the majority of the players were against an extension. However, discussions are also believed to have taken place with Dyson.

Others that have been linked with the job include Greg Chappell, the apparent frontrunner for the Indian coaching job, Dav Whatmore, who has just signed a new two-year deal with Bangladesh that has a get-out clause, and Allan Border, the the former Australian captain, who recently stood down as a selector.

Moody has made it clear that he now wants an international assignment and Worcestershire have backed him. Earlier, in the year he announced that he was interested in the England job if Duncan Fletcher, the coach for the last five years, quit after the forthcoming Ashes series.

Whether Sri Lanka actually have the financial clout to lure Moody is unclear. The last contract signed with Dyson was lower than the international norm and Sri Lanka would need to dig deep into their pockets to match Moody's current earnings with Worcestershire and from media work, including television commentary and a newspaper column.

Moody played eight Tests and 76 one-dayers for Australia during the 1990s before retiring in 2000-01. After a stint as the president of the Australian Cricketers Association, he joined Worcestershire as coach and then director of cricket.