REPORTS emerging from India that Kent's director of cricket Graham Ford has been appointed national coach have been described as premature by the county's chief executive Paul Millman.

Ford, the 46-year-old former South Africa coach, was in Chennai on Saturday for his interview with the BCCI committee and stories of his appointment began to surface soon after he and fellow running-mate John Emburey had been seen.

However, Mr Millman was quick to point out that although Ford may have agreed the principles of a potential one-year deal with India, Ford is still contracted to Kent until the end of the 2008 season.

He said: "We have had no communication with Graham from out in India whatsoever and expect to talk to him when he returns to England."

In the event that Ford has won the race to fill the vacancy left by Greg Chappell's post-World Cup resignation, Kent seem certain to demand some form of compensation package from the Indian board for losing their man.

Ford, who was Proteas coach from 1999 to 2001, joined Kent in 2005.