Chennai: Bowling legends like Glenn McGrath, Allan Donald and Craig McDermott have emerged as front runners to succeed Dennis Lillee as the coaching director of the MRF Pace Foundation.

Lillee who has been serving the foundation since the time it started in 1987, is on his way out and these are the names that have come up amongst others.

"The management has not decided yet as to who would take up the job but then have shortlisted about four or five people like Glenn McGrath, Allan Donald, Craig Mcdermott, Troy Cooley and one other," said Lillee.

Talking about the selection process and as to who should be selected, the Australian legend said, "We have to pick the best, a person with hundred per cent dedication, commitment and a very good image. I have to be careful with the process and check everything out because not all great bowlers could make good coaches. The difficult thing is not getting people but selecting the best out of them."

Lillee who has been with MRF Pace Foundatiuon for 25 years said that it was indeed a great challenge to take up the job because there were no genuine fast bowlers during that period, and Kapil Dev was the only saving grace.

"When I actually came here I noticed that there was no fast bowler but they were all medium pacers. I do not mean anything otherwise but there was no fast and great swing bowler in India like Kapil Dev," added Lillee.

"I had to work hard on the technical side of fast bowling and insisted them on bowing on one line. And they went back to their natives; their own coaches changed the techniques I taught them. Mental toughness was lacking in them and I had to change the whole belief in whole system" he told the reporters here.

Lillee feels that his stay here was satisfying and the kind of success he achieved with the academy is due to the management as they let him do things his way.

Indian Sports News Network