Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday refused to confirm or deny that Wendell Smith has been selected as interim coach for the senior national squad.

However, well-informed sources indicate the former national cricketer, who is the elder brother of national captain Clay Smith, has been asked to oversee Bermuda?s preparations for the ICC Trophy until a full-time coach can be appointed later.

Bermuda have been without a national coach since Mark Harper?s three-year tenure ended last September and a cloud surrounds how soon his replacement will be named. At issue is how the BCB will finance employing a new coach for a three or five-year duration.

At present, cricket?s national governing body is waiting to see how much monetary assistance Government will provide while simultaneously seeking corporate funding to underwrite the coach?s salary and expenses.

BCB official Neil Speight previously estimated that at least $200,000 would be needed to attract an international coach of any merit.

While the Board have apparently been inundated with applications for the vacancy ? which has not yet been advertised ? it is understood that retired South African pro Daryll Cullinan and Bermuda Hall of Famer Clarence Parfitt are the frontrunners for the position.