The Sri Lanka-born former batsman, who toured India with the team led by Kim Hughes in 1979, looks all set to get the nod from the seven-member Coach Selection Committee of the Cricket Board headed by BCCI Chief Sharad Pawar when it meets here on Monday night, according to BCCI sources.

"Whatmore can be said to be the front-runner to take up the job. But let's see what other names the members of the committee come up with," the sources told PTI on Sunday.

The sources were especially referring to former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar, among the three former captains forming the special committee, who is reportedly not in favour of the Australian to take up the mantle.

Gavaskar has been severe in his indirect criticism of the Australian in his syndicated column, referring to the way in which Bangladesh did not make an effort to chase the target set by India in the opening Test at Chittagong and for opting to field after winning the toss in the second and final Test at Mirpur.

Bangladesh slid to a humiliating innings defeat in the second Test and lost the series 0-1 after succumbing 0-2 in the best-of-three ODI series held earlier.

Whatmore, who quit as the coach of Bangladesh at the end of the tour to their eastern neighbours by the Rahul Dravid-led Indian team, however has good credentials as coach to support his claims.

Meanwhile, a strong advocate of having an Indian coach for the national team, former captain Kapil Dev has lambasted senior cricketers for reportedly lobbying for a foreigner. Kapil was apparently baffled by the fact that though they had never worked with Australian Dav Whatmore, the senior players threw their weight behind him, after he opted against an extension of his contract with the Bangladesh team after the World Cup.

"The players have never worked with Whatmore, how can they recommend his name," a miffed Kapil told 'Aaj Tak'.

He was against the preference for a foreign coach and if the trend continued, he said, "One day, things will be such than Sachin (Tendulkar), VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly will be in contention for the coach's job but would never get it." During the recent Bangladesh tour, Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and Anil Kumble reportedly met BCCI President Sharad Pawar and requested him to get a foreigner to take over as the new coach.

Kapil felt projecting Whatmore as the front-runner for the job undermined the authority of the seven-member committee which meets in Bangalore on Monday.

Headed by BCCI President Sharad Pawar, the committee includes former captains S Venkataraghavan, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri.

"The committee has several greats in it and the selection of the coach should be left entirely to them. If the BCCI has already made up its mind on someone, then what is the purpose of having this committee?" Kapil said.