Haynes will make it on time

Former West Indies Test opener Desmond Haynes, who was facing problems in obtaining a visa, is expected make himself available for the interview for the job of India cricket team coach as scheduled on Thursday.

Speaking to rediff.com, Rajiv Shukla, one of the vice-presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said Haynes will make it on time for the interview.

India coach: Meet the contenders

"Since Haynes is also a senator of Barbados, we should be able to overcome the visa difficulty. We have written letters to the Union Home Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs requesting that Haynes should be given a visa on landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport," he said.

Sources in the BCCI on Wednesday evening said Haynes had already boarded a flight from London.

When Haynes was approached by the BCCI last week, he had said he would make arrangements for the visa. However, on Tuesday night he told the BCCI that he was unable to obtain one in Barbados, and asked whether it could be arranged on arrival in India.

Former Australia players Greg Chappell and Tom Moody, and India's 1983 World Cup hero Mohinder Amarnath are the other contenders besides Haynes for the post left vacant by John Wright, who parted ways after a four-year term, after the home series against Pakistan.

The BCCI's six-member committee, comprising former captains Srinvias Venkataraghavan, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, former and current presidents Jagmohan Dalmiya and Ranbir Singh Mahendra, and secretary S K Nair as convenor, will interview the candidates from 2.00 pm at the Taj Palace in Delhi.