One of the three former captains on the panel is ‘more than inclined’ towards Greg Chappell

Calcutta: With the first steps towards appointing John Wright’s successor set to be taken in a few hours, the buzz is that one of the three former India captains on the ‘selection’ committee is ?more than inclined? towards Greg Chappell.

The Board-constituted committee to pick the coach features Srinivas Venkatraghavan, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, president Ranbir Singh Mahendra, immediate past president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary S.K. Nair.

The committee meets here on Sunday afternoon and Chappell’s CV is with the Board. He hasn’t coached a national side, but his credentials are unmatched.

Incidentally, Chappell was a contender in 2000, too, when Wright got the job.

?The former captain in question favours Chappell not only because he himself holds him in esteem, but even the most experienced players will be happy working with a great,? a well-placed source told The Telegraph.

The views of the other two former captains weren’t known till late on Saturday. However, one did tell a confidant he would ?play it safe? ? in other words, probably go along with the majority view.

As for the Board officials, Dalmiya has already declared everybody has an ?open mind.? Moreover, the ?experience? of the Venkats is going to be tapped.

Yet, it’s inconceivable that Dalmiya will be a passive participant. If not anything else, he’s bound to ‘ensure’ the former captains don’t end up taking extreme positions.

Even though Nair insisted (on Friday evening) that just two CVs ? Dean Jones and Chappell’s ? had been received, the Board has clarified Dav Whatmore and Tom Moody forwarded theirs directly to Mahendra.

Whatmore, by the way, has extended his contract with Bangladesh; Moody is with Graeme Hick’s Worcestershire.

Why Mahendra didn’t send those CVs to Nair is, of course, a mystery.

Apparently, he forwarded them to Dalmiya’s office in Calcutta, assuming the ‘selectors’ would meet here.

Mahendra got that right. However, he breached protocol.

Meanwhile, a former captain (not on the committee) is understood to be lobbying for Jones, despite his figuring in the CBI’s report on match-fixing.

Also, one learns the Board did informally ?sound out? Allan Border, but Test cricket’s most prolific run-getter conveyed his inability to accept a full-time coach’s job only weeks after quitting as Australia’s chief selector.

Had Border been interested, the pitch would have queered for the rest.