Donald called an end to his playing career in 2003

Donald has applied for the position Cooley vacates in May when he returns to his native Australia to take up a similar role with the world champions.

"I don't come in with a lot of coaching badges but I do have lots of experience and passion for the game," he said.

"England is not new territory for me, I played against a lot of the players."

Donald, who took 330 wickets in 72 Tests and 272 one-day international wickets from 164 matches in an illustrious 12-year international career, said frustration with the South Africa management structure led him to apply.

"At the moment I get the feeling there is no way in for me to South African cricket, so that's one of the reasons I applied," he told the Reuters newswire.

"I have a passion for being around international cricketers. I love being in the dressing room and I love dealing with players at the highest level.

"There is an opportunity for me to grab onto something I love, whether it's the South African cricket team or the England cricket team, it doesn't matter.

I love being around the international stage and being involved Allan Donald

Donald, who spent four seasons with Warwickshire and has coached their young bowlers, praised the work done by Cooley, who forged a close bond with England's premier seamers Stephen Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard.

"The majority of the work has been done by Troy," Donald said.

"I think he has done a magnificent job with the four quicks and to take over something like that would be taking it a step further.

"I think it's just fine-tuning them and playing a bigger role in the dressing room. That would also be a challenge for me as well."