Australia cricket coach John Buchanan is hoping to meet up with Manchester United [Images] manager Alex Ferguson for a brainstorming session.

Buchanan, renowned for his innovative thinking, said: "We don't know until we get there if we can learn something from them or they can learn something from us.

"Hopefully, it's a two-way street," he told the Australian Associated Press (AAP). "There are different levels of exchange and how that benefits you. You sit back and reflect a little bit about some of the things that they do and how that might work in your team."

The 52-year-old Buchanan, whose side won the first Test of the five-match Ashes series against England [Images] last week, is always keen to find ways to improve his world champions.

He has previously hired a baseball coach to work on Australia's fielding. During the 2001 Ashes, he discussed the teaching of the Chinese warlord Sun Tzu with his players.

Ferguson has been in charge of Manchester United since 1986, leading them to a string of league titles and trophies including the 1999 European Cup.

Buchanan, who will be in Manchester for the third Ashes Test next month, would also like to meet Clive Woodward, England's 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning coach. Woodward, another innovative manager, has switched sports to join the staff of second division soccer club Southampton.