Coach: John Buchanan
Born: 14 May 1948, Ipswich, Australia
Appointed: October 1999
World Cup record: 2003-winners (won 11)

Buchanan, who only played seven first-class games, was considered an unlikely choice by some when he succeeded former Test veterans Bob Simpson and Geoff Marsh.

But he had already delivered Queensland two Sheffield Shield titles, including their first ever in 1994-95, and Australia won their first 15 matches with him in charge.

He has presided over an almost unprecedented level of dominance in the Test arena and led Australia to the 2003 World Cup title in South Africa.

Buchanan steps aside after the tournament and will be aiming to end his tenure with another World Cup crown. However, recent form has been mixed.

Coach: Dav Whatmore
Born: 16 March 1954, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Appointed: April 2003
World Cup record: (with Sri Lanka) 1996-winners, 2003-s-finals (won 14, lost 4, tied 1)

Born in Sri Lanka, Whatmore immigrated to Australia as a child and was a sturdy batsman for Victoria before going on to play seven Tests for Australia.

He guided Sri Lanka to World Cup glory in 1996 before claiming three more one-day trophies during a short spell with Lancashire.

Following a brief second stint with Sri Lanka, Whatmore joined Bangladesh in 2003, and there are signs that the side is beginning to acclimatise to international cricket.

Coach: Gus Logie
Born: 28 September 1960, Sobo, Trinidad
Appointed: April 2005
World Cup record: (with Canada) 2003-group stage (won 1, lost 5)

Logie played 52 Tests for West Indies before joining the West Indies cricket board in 1995 and coaching West Indies youth and 'A' teams.

He was in charge of Canada at the 2003 World Cup and coached West Indies for a little over a year, severing links immediately after winning the Champions Trophy in 2004.

Logie performed wonders to ensure Bermuda's qualification for this World Cup, their first, but recent form has been mixed.

Coach: Andy Pick
Born: 19 November 1963, Nottingham, England
Appointed: March 2006

Pick plied his trade as a seam bowler with Nottinghamshire between 1983 and 1997 before spending two-and-a-half years as the cricket professional at Bedford School.

He coached England at the Under-19 World Cup in 2006 before being given a year off to prepare Canada for their second World Cup.

He has coaxed some decent results out of his new charges in the lead-up to the tournament and will want to pull off an upset before returning to his day job.

England: Duncan Fletcher
Born: 27 June 1948, Salisbury, Zimbabwe
Appointed: June 1999
World Cup record: 2003-group stage (won 3, lost 2)

When Fletcher took over a floundering England side after the 1999 World Cup, they were the lowest-ranked Test team in the world.

But England's first foreign coach turned the side into an efficient unit on the Test stage and was instrumental in England regaining the Ashes in 2005.

England were whitewashed in the 2006-07 Ashes, but did manage to win the triangular one-day series, reversing a long period of decline in the shorter form of the game.

Fletcher, who captained Zimbabwe at the 1983 World Cup, will reconsider his future after this year's tournament.

Coach: Greg Chappell
Born: 7 August 1948, Unley, Australia
Appointed: May 2005

Chappell was the outstanding Australian batsman of his generation, the scorer of 7,110 runs and 24 centuries in 87 Tests.

After retiring he pursued a career in coaching, spending some time with South Australia and working as a consultant at Pakistan's National Cricket Academy.

Chappell inherited an ageing India side and his reign has been controversial, a very public row with former skipper Sourav Ganguly often overshadowing some mixed results.

India's recent one-day displays have been mixed and Chappell has some big decisions to make ahead of the World Cup.

Coach: Adrian Birrell
Born: 8 December 1960, Grahamstown, South Africa
Appointed: March 2002

Birrell, who will step down after the tournament, played 45 first-class matches for Eastern Province as a leg-break bowler and useful lower-order batsman.

He cut his coaching teeth in South Africa before taking up Ireland's offer and guiding them to their first World Cup courtesy of a good run at the ICC Trophy.

Birrell also masterminded Ireland's win over West Indies in 2004 and tasted victory at the Intercontinental Cup in 2005, although they disappointed at the recent ICC World Cricket League.

Coach: Roger Harper
Born: 17 March 1963, Georgetown, Guyana
Appointed: January 2006
World Cup record: (with West Indies) 2003-group stage (won 3, lost 2)

Harper was an all-rounder for West Indies in the 1980s and 90s, more famed for his fielding than his off-breaks or batting.

After retirement, he pursued a career in coaching, taking charge of West Indies during a difficult period between 2000 and 2003.

He was appointed Under-19 coach in 2005, but stepped down after just a month to take over the reins with Kenya. The east Africans recently won the ICC World Cricket League.

Coach: Peter Cantrell
Born: 28 October 1962, Gunnedah, Australia
Appointed: November 2005

Cantrell played 34 first-class matches for Queensland between 1988-1991 and first came to the Netherlands as coach of Kampong Utrecht in 1984.

In 13 Hoofdklasse seasons, Cantrell made 14,855 runs, took 307 wickets and played 64 times for the Netherlands between 1992-97.

He was a member of the 1996 World Cup side and succeeded Bob Simpson as coach. An upset over a Test-playing nation will be Cantrell's priority.

Coach: Bob Woolmer
Born: 5 April 1953, Kanpur, India
Appointed: June 2004
World Cup record: (with South Africa) 1996-q-finals, 1999-s-finals (won 7, lost 3, tied 1)

Although Woolmer played more than 300 first-class matches for Kent and 19 Tests for England, it is as a coach that he will be best remembered.

Following a successful spell at Warwickshire, Woolmer spent four years in charge of South Africa and led them at two World Cups.

Woolmer replaced Javed Miandad as coach of Pakistan after a spell as the ICC's high-performance manager and has moulded Pakistan into a disciplined, professional unit.

Always innovative and looking for new methods, Woolmer could replace Duncan Fletcher if England have a poor World Cup and Fletcher resigns.

Coach: John Bracewell
Born: 15 April 1958, Auckland, New Zealand
Appointed: September 2003

Bracewell played 41 Tests and 53 one-day internationals between 1979-80 and 1990 and was a resourceful off-spinner and hard-hitting late-order batsman.

He scored 4,354 first-class runs and took 522 wickets before becoming a coach with Auckland.

He joined Gloucestershire in 1999, inspiring them to a string of one-day titles, before moving on shortly after their C&G Trophy triumph in 2003.

Bracewell came in for some flak last year as the Black Caps stagnated, but spirits are high again after their recent whitewash of Australia.

Coach: Peter Drinnen
Born: 5 October 1967, Bundaberg, Queensland
Appointed: January 2006

Drinnen, who joined Scotland as their technical director, landed the top job after Andy Moles' shock departure.

Despite his inexperience, Drinnen, who played five first-class matches for Queensland, knows his players well and has presided over some encouraging displays of late.

They lost to Kenya in the final of the recent ICC World Cricket League, beating Ireland, Canada, Holland and the same Kenya side earlier in the tournament.

Coach: Mickey Arthur
Born: 17 May 1968, Johannesburg, South Africa
Appointed: May 2005

Arthur was a solid batsman for Free State, Griqualand West and South Africa A before retiring as a player in 2001.

He coached Griquas in the domestic competition before taking over the Eastern Cape side in 2003, twice guiding them to the finals of the Standard Bank Pro20 series.

His relative lack of experience made him a surprising choice to succeed Ray Jennings but he has turned South Africa into a decent one-day outfit.

They reached last year's Champions Trophy semi-finals, have beaten Australia, India and Pakistan in recent series and will be among the favourites in the Caribbean.

Coach: Tom Moody
Born: 2 October 1965, Adelaide, South Australia
Appointed: May 2005

Moody played eight Tests and 76 one-dayers for Australia and won two World Cups.

An imposingly tall, authoritative batsman and useful medium-pace bowler, Moody captained Western Australia and Worcestershire to a stack of silverware before retiring in 2000-01.

He was Worcestershire director of cricket for five years, leading them to two C&G Trophy finals, before succeeding John Dyson with Sri Lanka.

After a difficult start, Moody got Sri Lanka playing some good cricket in 2006 and they may struggle to keep hold of him when his contract expires in May.

Coach: Bennett King
Born: 19 December 1964, Mossman, Australia
Appointed: October 2004

King replaced John Buchanan as coach of Queensland when the latter joined up with Australia and won three Pura Cups in his first three seasons in charge.

In 2002, King accepted the head coach role at the Australian cricket academy before being lured onto the international stage by West Indies.

Under King, West Indies have become a consistent one-day team, winning 18 of 33 matches last year and reaching the final of the Champions Trophy.

No host nation has ever won a World Cup, but with the inspirational King in charge, West Indies should at least make a decent fist of things.

Coach: Kevin Curran
Born: 7 September 1959, Rusape, Zimbabwe
Appointed: August 2005

Curran was a very effective all-rounder for Gloucestershire and Northants in the 1980s and 90s and played in two World Cups (1983 and 1987) for his country.

He became Namibia coach after retiring in 1999 before returning home as director of coaching at the CFX Cricket Academy in Harare in 2004.

He replaced Phil Simmons in the top job a year later but has been unable to arrest the side's alarming slide.