Former Bermuda coach Mark Harper (pictured) is believed to have thrown his hat into the ring to become the new head coach of the West Indies.

Harper spent three years in charge of the national team, guiding them through the 2001 ICC Trophy tournament in Canada, two Americas Championships in Argentina and Bermuda and the Intercontinental Cup.

The Guyanese ex-first-class player joins Australians Dav Whatmore and John Dyson as candidates for the vacancy, according to a report on caribbeancricket.com

Locally, former Zimbabwe and current Ireland coach Phil Simmons is believed to have applied, as have former KwaZulu-Natal coach Eldine Baptiste, incumbent assistant coaches David Williams and Hendy Springer, Durham's fast bower and temporary England bowling coach Ottis Gibson, and Vincentian Ian Allen.

It had been hinted Mark's brother Roger Harper would apply, but he is instead being linked with the post of coaching director at the West Indies Academy. He stood down as Kenya's coach earlier this month to be closer to his family in Guyana.

The West Indies board must decide whether to appoint another foreign coach following the problems that increasingly dogged previous coach Bennett King, the Australian who stood down after the World Cup. There remains a strong sentiment in the Caribbean that King's replacement should come from within the region.

But insiders suggest Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to the World Cup in 1996, is the favourite. He recently unsuccessfully applied for the post of Pakistan coach. Dyson also has experience with a national side, replacing Whatmore as Sri Lanka coach in 2003 before standing down in 2005.