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Lancashire will start their search for a new coach to succeed Dav Whatmore at a cricket committee meeting tonight.

Yesterday's news that Whatmore had been approached to return to his native Sri Lanka took the Old Trafford club by surprise - it had even been a shock for Whatmore when he was offered the job on Sunday.

``We have got some very interesting decisions to make,'' admitted chairman Jack Simmons.

Whatmore signed a new two-year contract with Lancashire last September after guiding them to two one-day trophies and second place in the Championship, but the club will not stand in his way.

He could even leave before the end of this season as the committee consider what effect the news of his departure will have on team morale.

Tonight's meeting was already due to discuss the worrying Championship form which has left Lancashire with an uphill struggle to avoid relegation to the Second Division next season.

Finding a top class coach is not easy - as England have found recently.

Several coaches who figured in the World Cup - Zimbabwe's Dave Houghton, New Zealand's Steve Rixon and maybe even Australia's Geoff Marsh - could come into contention.

Former England all-rounder Dermot Reeve, now coaching Somerset, could be a dark horse.

And David Boon, who was in the frame for the job the last time it came up in 1997, but ended up joining Durham instead, may also be interested in linking up with Simmons - a good friend from his Tasmanian days.

David Lloyd, Whatmore's predecessor and still a popular figure with Lancashire players and supporters alike, is unlikely to be available after signing a lucrative three-year deal with Sky.

But Whatmore stressed that his departure should not mean a premature end to Muttiah Muralitharan's career in county cricket.

The Sri Lankan off-spinner has taken 24 wickets in the last two matches and although he is due home some time in August for a Test series against Australia, Whatmore will recommend to Lancashire that they re-sign him for next season - although Shane Warne and Shoaib Akhtar are also in the frame.