Richard Pybus to interview for Bangladesh coach

Richard Pybus, the former Pakistan coach, has been shortlisted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as a candidate to coach the national team and will be interviewed on Friday. The board is also set to interview two other candidates later - Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell and former New Zealand batsman and coach Mark Greatbatch.

Pybus arrived in Dhaka on Thursday night with the interview expected to take place the following day. Newell's lack of international exposure and Greatbatch's coaching record might work against them. Pybus hasn't coached an international side since 2003 but his early arrival is a sign of the BCB's intentions. ESPNcricinfo understands he has a better chance of getting the job.

The selection process is different this time with the BCB deciding to interview foreign candidates, unlike Dav Whatmore, Jamie Siddons and Stuart Law, who were not interviewed.

"We have made a shortlist of three to four candidates. We will be calling them shortly for interviews and if we like the coach, we will finalise him," BCB media committee chairman Jalal Yunus told ESPNcricinfo. "We will only decide after speaking to the coaches."

Pybus, who took up coaching in his mid-twenties, was appointed Pakistan coach for their 1999 World Cup campaign while at Border, before returning to the South African provincial side. He coached Pakistan again until the 2003 World Cup and had stints with Titans and Cape Cobras (South Africa), and Middlesex. He was with Cobras until March 2012 and was also linked to the South Africa job last year.

Newell also remained in the picture after emerging as the first candidate last week. It was learned the BCB were still in talks with him.

Greatbatch, a former opening batsman who played 41 Tests for New Zealand, has a mixed record as coach after retiring in 1998. He had stints at home (Central Districts) and with Warwickshire, and was also the New Zealand coach when they were beaten 4-0 by Bangladesh in 2010. John Wright replaced him the same year.