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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) yesterday interviewed seven candidates for the vacant senior national team head coach post.

The seven coaches included one Zimbabwean, two South Africans, two Britons, one Indian and one Australian.

Former pace bowler Douglas Hondo is the only Zimbabwean gunning for the post, while South African Lance Klusener, who was sacked together with former head coach Heath Streak’s technical team in April, reportedly pulled out of the interview that was to have been conducted via Skype.

Sean Bell, who was a fitness trainer in Streak’s technical team,  had also been shortlisted for an interview, but he informed Industrial Psychology Consultants, who are conducting the recruitment on behalf of ZC, that he was not qualified for the job.

Former Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana, who stepped down from his post earlier this year, and Anton Roux are the two South Africans that were interviewed for the job.

Britons Colin Siller and Andy Moles as well as Australian Nathan Dodd are the other coaches that applied for the Chevrons’ job.

Lalchand Rajput from India, who has been engaged as Chevrons’ coach on an interim basis from June 1 to August 31, also got an opportunity to impress the interview panel to prove that he deserves the job full time. Rajput will guide Zimbabwe in the triangular T20 series involving Australia and Pakistan in

Harare in early July before the Chevrons take on Pakistan in five ODIs in Bulawayo from July 13-22.

Only Hondo and Rajput were interviewed in Harare, with the rest being conducted via Skype.

ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said a new coach should be named after the ODI series against Pakistan. — @Mdawini_29