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| | Monday, 3 June, 2002, 11:16 GMT 12:16 UK Woolmer reveals SA interest Bob Woolmer is awaiting a call from the UCBSA
Bob Woolmer has unexpectedly revealed his interest in coaching South Africa on a short-term basis. The position became available after the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) announced they had sacked Graham Ford on the day Hansie Cronje was killed in a plane crash. Ford guided South Africa to seven series wins after taking over from Woolmer in 1999 and had been contracted until after next year's World Cup, which South Africa will host. But Woolmer, whose contract as Warwickshire's director of coaching is up for renewal at the end of the current season, would not object to being invited to have his old job back on a short-term basis.
The veteran of 19 Tests as a batsman for England told BBC Sport Online: "I've had five years as a coach for the South Africa team. "But if they wanted me to help for a period of time then I would certainly look at it. "I don't think I would do it for a long period, but if I was needed in the short term I could be persuaded." Woolmer, 54, who represented Kent, Natal and Western Province in his time as a player, is also under contract to assist the non-Test playing nations such as Namibia and Kenya at the World Cup. It would be difficult for him to retain that role while taking on the reins at South Africa.
And he was quick to add: "I think they would have contacted me a long time ago if they were interested in my services." Of his situation at Warwickshire, Woolmer said: "There's quite a lot of talking to be done at the end of the season." Meanwhile, Woolmer believes the UCBSA are mulling over three main candidates after the provinces were asked to nominate their own coaches. Of them, Eric Simons, 40, the highly successful coach of Western Province, may emerge as a front-runner. Upheaval Nothern Transvaal's David Nosworthy is perhaps too young at 34, while 42-year-old Eldine Baptiste, the KwaZulu-Natal coach, is a West Indian, which may count against him. Ford's dismissal is part of an ongoing upheaval in the country's cricket administration which began with the recent appointment of a new selection panel, headed by Omar Henry. And Woolmer had words of sympathy for the departing coach. "I think Graham Ford has been hard done by. He had a contract to the end of the World Cup and I can't see why that's been stopped now." | | See also:  01 Jun 02 | Cricket 01 Jun 02 | Cricket 15 May 02 | Cricket 08 Dec 01 | Australia v South Africa 20 Apr 02 | Cricket Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Cricket stories now: Links to more Cricket stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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