THE man to lead Kent's coaching team into the 2005 championship campaign will be named by county chiefs tomorrow.

The club's director of cricket post, vacant since the retirement of Australian Ian Brayshaw in 2003, was decided at the club's general committee meeting tonight after a painstaking selection process that has lasted over three months.

Over a dozen top-level coaches applied for the position - six of whom were interviewed - after which, the county offered second interviews to three candidates.

Though all are believed to have an international pedigree to some degree, Kent's chief executive Paul Millman refused to be drawn on the candidates involved or the name that would be going for general committee ratification.

Sources close to the club have linked former Kent captain and England one-day international Matthew Fleming with the post, but a recent move to Norfolk may well rule out his day-to-day involvement.

Fleming also works for the family business, Fleming's merchant bankers, and has known political aspirations with the Conservative Party, which may yet deny his return to cricket.

Two overseas names have also been mentioned as likely candidates, namely Kent's overseas star from 1984-86, Terry Alderman, and ex-Lancashire, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh coach, Dav Whatmore.

Alderman, 48, played 40 games for the county and 41 Tests for Australia, becoming a hugely popular figure at St Lawrence and an integral part of the county side. Since retiring, he has worked in state and club coaching and as a radio and television commentator.

Sri Lankan-born Whatmore, now 50, has the better coaching pedigree of the two, masterminding Sri Lanka's famous World Cup win of 1996 in one of two stints in charge.

Whatmore, who emigrated to Australia as a child, won seven Test caps during the Kerry Packer era and helped guide Bangladesh into the top flight of Test nations.

The man appointed will eventually oversee the county's existing triumvirate of coaches, Simon Willis, Paul Farbrace and Chris Stone and the county's coaching structure from grass roots to first team.