Akram on Kolkata Knight Riders' radar?

Wasim Akram has joined the list of coaching candidates for Kolkata Knight Riders, it is learnt. The former Pakistan captain has figured in team plans after the sacking of Australian John Buchanan, whose two-year stint with the Indian Premier League team was unsuccessful.

Akram has not coached a national side, but has taken time off during his media duties to help out fast bowlers like Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan.

KKR bosses have interviewed several coaches including Duncan Fletcher, Dermot Reeve, Eric Simmons, Richard Pybus, Ashok Malhotra, WV Raman and Lalchand Rajput.

Fletcher, Simmons and Pybus have coached England, South Africa and Pakistan, respectively. Zimbabwean Fletcher was highly instrumental in England winning the Ashes in 2005. Rajput was India's coach when MS Dhoni's team won the World T20 in 2007 while Reeve has led Warwickshire where he handled a mega star like Brian Lara pretty well.u00a0

The candidates were asked what they thought were the plus points of KKR and where did they go wrong last year. "KKR want to ensure that they look at all angles and at the end of the day leave nothing unplugged," said a source.

It is learnt that KKR needs a figurehead, who will be available in India not just for the IPL, but for several months. Before the last edition of the IPL, co-owner Shah Rukh Khan told MiD DAY that he wants his set-up to be like a virtual academy.

The status of John Wright is not known though. Wright is in India to oversee the progress of New Zealand 'A' in the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai.

The former India coach will be meeting KKR officials soon.
The key for KKR is to find a coach who will gel with Sourav Ganguly. The former India captain will in all probability, regain his captaincy for the 2010 edition of the IPL.