Richard Lapthorne (right), chairman of Cable and Wireless, receiving an official ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 pin from executive director of the Local Organising Committee, Robert Bryan, at a dinner for visiting Cable and Wireless executives. The dinner was held in Stony Hill last Thursday. Cable and Wireless is one of the official sponsors of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

VADODARA (CMC):

The Indian cricket board hinted yesterday that national selectors could select the 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean on February 11 or 12.

Niranjan Shah, the Indian cricket board secretary, said national selectors would decide on a date for the meeting to choose the squad, when they met on Saturday to choose the squad for the four-match one-day international series against Sri Lanka.

"The selectors, who are to meet in Mumbai on February 3 to pick the team for the Sri Lanka series, will decide on the date and the venue [for the meeting to pick the World Cup squad], either Rajkot or Mumbai," Shah was quoted as saying.

The first two matches of the Sri Lanka series have been scheduled for Kolkata and Rajkot on February 8 and 11 respectively and teams are expected to submit the final World Cup squad to the International Cricket Council before February 13.

This means selectors will use the last match of the current four-match ODI series against the West Indies, along with the first two matches of the Sri Lanka series, to have a last look at players.

COACH MOODY WITHDRAWS

It is also expected that the squad selected for the last two ODIs against the Sri Lankans in Goa and Vishakapatnam will be the core of the squad that will travel to the Caribbean for the event that bowls off March 13.

India lead their current four-match ODI series against the West Indies 2-1, with the final game scheduled to be played here on Wednesday.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody has withdrawn from the race to succeed John Buchanan as Australia's next coach, leaving Tim Nielsen as the likely candidate for the job.

Moody, a former Australia Test and one-day international player, was interviewed by Cricket Australia but told them he was not interested in the position.

"I just felt the timing wasn't right," Moody said.

"I had to think long and hard about it but from a personal point of view it wasn't right and I wanted to let Cricket Australia know as soon as possible."

Moody, 41, has also been mentioned as a possible successor to England coach Duncan Fletcher should he step down after the World Cup, but the Australian said his only concern was with Sri Lanka.

"Sri Lanka is my main focus and this had started to become a bit of a distraction to myself and the team, which is the last thing it needs in the countdown to the World Cup," he said.

"It was a bit unfair on the team and my employers because my focus at the moment has to be on preparing the side for the World Cup."

Buchanan is standing down as Australia coach after this year's World Cup in the Caribbean with Nielsen, head coach at Australia's Centre of Excellence, regarded as the favourite to replace him.