Although Australian Moore, 42, accepts he is down the queue of contenders for the post, any signs of improvement on a run of just two wins and 10 draws in the past 37 Tests will do no harm.

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher has been among the names doing the rounds to succeed Bennett King, whom Moore worked under both at the Australian academy and as Windies' assistant coach.

"There will be some very good applicants apply or the position," said Moore, whose current contract runs until November 30.

"I will wait and see.

"I am enjoying my time at the moment and if we can get some good quality performances happening that might entice me to stay.

"The fortunate thing is that the ball is in my court. If I do well and I can allow an opportunity for me to come up, great."

Moore spent a dozen years lecturing in physical education and sports science at a Sydney university prior to his coaching career and could return to education if his Caribbean jaunt ends.

"Caretaker coach is a position I will fulfil for this tour and perhaps the world Twenty20 in September," Moore added.

"It will just depend upon who gets appointed and when they get appointed.

"If I can play a role somewhere within West Indies cricket that's great; if not that is professional sport.

"Often these days professional coaches bring their own entourages and that is how I ended up with the West Indies, coming in with Bennett King.

"If I can profit from that I also have to accept there will be times where someone will want to bring their own people in and that will be my time.

"I am happy for the betterment of West Indies cricket that they recruit fairly quickly and get the new man in.

"Whoever it might be they need time to work with the players and the longer they get the better it will be."

The West Indians go into the third match of the series under new captain Daren Ganga, having lost by a record margin of an innings and 283 runs to go 1-0 down at Headingley last month.

Ramnaresh Sarwan was unable to bat in that match and has since returned to Guyana for treatment on a shoulder injury which is expected to sideline him for six weeks.

Without Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul - who returns in Manchester after a knee injury - the tourists were dismissed twice for less than 150 in an atmosphere conducive to swing.

Ganga, who has captained both Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies in recent years, believes they need to adapt to alien conditions and understand how Tests are won.

"I have identified the areas in which we went wrong," Ganga said. "It's very important to focus on the processes of winning a cricket game.

"Our record shows we are not doing well so it is important to start the improvement.

"Our focus will be on getting the basics right, looking to start afresh and be optimistic about levelling the series."

If the pitch has anything like the pace it contained last summer they can expect hostility from Steve Harmison, who claimed five-wicket hauls in each innings of a swift victory over Pakistan.

In addition to fronting up with the bat, they must also find ways of accounting for Kevin Pietersen, who followed his Lord's hundred with 226 at Headingley.

He would have been out for 206 fewer, however, had Chris Gayle - due to undergo a fitness test in the morning to assess whether his rib injury will prevent him bowling over the coming days - not overstepped on a delivery which resulted in a stumping.

"We know the areas we can get him out," said Ganga. "We haven't been able to work on those areas consistently and that has been one of our downfalls. We need to give ourselves more chances."

Fast bowler Fidel Edwards is pushing for a recall so Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor will be under pressure to retain their places.

England (from): MP Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt), AJ Strauss (Middlesex), AN Cook (Essex), KP Pietersen (Hampshire), PD Collingwood (Durham), IR Bell (Warwickshire), MJ Prior (Sussex, wkt), LE Plunkett (Durham), RJ Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), SJ Harmison (Durham), MS Panesar (Northamptonshire).

West Indies (from): CH Gayle, D Ganga (capt), DS Smith, S Chanderpaul, RS Morton, MN Samuels, SC Joseph, DJ Bravo, D Ramdin (wkt), DJG Sammy, DB Powell, JE Taylor, CD Collymore, FH Edwards.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) & BF Bowden (NZ)

3rd Umpire: PJ Hartley.

Match referee: AG Hurst (Aus).