Bermuda are making overtures to determine whether legendary bowler Clarence Parfitt is interested in becoming national cricket coach.

But the former St. George's Cup Match and Bermuda great, now based in Scotland where he is a coach with Arbroath Cricket Club, yesterday revealed little about his intentions.

He did say, however, that he was waiting to discuss the proposal further with local officials.

With no ready cash at hand to open such a post, Bermuda Cricket Board of Control president El James is understood to have inquired if Parfitt was interested should a position become available; no official offer has been made.

Yesterday, James was unwilling to discuss the matter but Parfitt confirmed that he was asked to give it some thought.

"Yes, El called and asked if I were interested and he said that the board would get back to me,'' said Parfitt from his home in Scotland. "I can't say publicly if I would be or not because I am waiting to talk to him.'' Allan Douglas currently coaches the national side but James confirmed that the board was looking to hire someone on a permanent basis, although no one has officially been approached.

"One of the jobs of the coaching committee is to help us prepare for a coach, but we cannot do anything without the necessary funds. We haven't identified anybody so far, but a long-term plan is to have somebody to fill the post so that we can implement proper programmes for the sport of cricket throughout the Island,'' said James.

Parfitt admitted he was surprised to see an olive branch offer being extended by the board after a long and stormy relationship with the previous administration.

He has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the former executive over the way he was treated in 1988, when he was brought back by the board for the national coach's job -- and then not offered the post.

"We didn't even have any formal talks about it, and they asked me to come back for the job,'' he recalled.

The sounding out of Parfitt ties into James' quest to lure back former great cricketers to give assistance in various administrative areas of Island cricket.

Lingering as a potential stumbling block to any deal are the details behind Lionel Cann's abrupt return to Bermuda from Scotland.

Cann was living with Parfitt while in the second year of his stint with Arbroath, and the latter has made it no secret that he did not aappreciate how the young all-rounder left his club in the lurch.

Cann has said that he stayed on in Bermuda -- he returned in time to train for and play in Cup Match -- to improve his chances of making the national team for the upcoming Shell Sandals tournament.

The board have been caught in the middle and, with Cann having received financial assistance to play abroad, it is believed the Ministry of Youth Development and Sport may look into the matter.