Aussie David Moore could begin his new role as national cricket coach early in the New Year, the Bermuda Sun can reveal.
According to reliable sources, the former West Indies coach has landed the vacant national coaching job and is expected on island in January.
Until Moore's arrival, local certified coaches Clevie Wade, Andre Manders and Herbie Bascome will oversee Bermuda's initial preparations for next April's crucial Intercontinental Shield match with Namibia on the African continent.
The only snafu at this point that would prevent him from taking over the job is if his paperwork doesn't get approved by Governent.
A training squad, with up to as many as 25 players, are expected to commence training next week to get an early jump on their preparations for next spring's tour of Namibia.
Former New South Wales wicketkeeper Moore beat out the likes of former Windies Test players Eldine Baptiste, who toured Bermuda with Antigua in 1984, and Gordon Greenidge for the top post, which was recently vacated by Trinidadian Gus Logie.
Incidentally, Moore, who flew to Bermuda last month to meet with BCB officials, was an assistant to Bennett King who took over from Logie as West Indies coach in 2004.
King resigned following the Windies disappointing showing at the 2007 World Cup and when approached Moore took over the helm on an interim basis until fellow countryman John Dyson was put in charge.
The Aussie progressed up the coaching ranks with the Australian Cricket Board and comes highly recommended for the local national coaching job by ICC High Performance manager Richard Done, having also worked alongside King at the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy in Adelaide.
Predecessor Logie, who coached Bermuda to its first World Cup appearance in 2007, completed his four- year contract with the BCB last September and did not seek another term.
Commenting on then speculation that Moore could become Bermuda's newest national cricket coach, former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts told the Bermuda Sun: "Having spent a couple of years in the region (Caribbean) he (Moore) may have learned some things that could be beneficial to Bermuda cricket."
Roberts said that one of the biggest challenges Moore may encounter in Bermuda is "integrating" into the local cricket culture - something even Logie never fully achieved during his tenure as national coach.
He added: "You must understand the culture of the people you are working with."
Another challenge Moore will be confronted with is returning Bermuda's national team to the dizzying heights it enjoyed after qualifying for the 2007 World Cup at the ICC Trophy in Ireland.
With only remnants of that squad remaining, he will inherit a more youthful bunch that have been tasked with carrying the torch.
Earlier this year the island relinquished its One Day International (ODI) status after failing to qualify for the 2011 World Cup in South Africa.
Following a miserable campaign in South Africa, senior players Dwayne Leverock, Janeiro Tucker and Lionel Cann bowed out of the international arena.
Tucker has since been lured back into the national programme and has not ruled out making a comeback once he recovers from knee surgery.
The Southampton Rangers stalwart, however, doesn't expect to be fit to rejoin the national squad ahead of April's Intercontinental Shield clash with Namibia.
He said: "April is too soon. I don't think I will be able to be a part of the national set up by then, but June could be a possibility."
Bermuda lost their opening Intercontinental Shield match with Uganda by seven -wickets at the National Sports Centre last September and must win their next match with Namibia to keep their hopes of progressing in the competition alive.
The islanders will face United Arab Emirates on home soil in June.
