Both sides are keen to finalise the issue before the start of this winter's Ashes series.

The Zimbabwean is hoping to extend his contract beyond the end of next summer, when it is due to expire.

ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said: "We said all along to Duncan that we would sit down with him near to the end of his current contract and discuss the future.

"We didn't want all sorts of media speculation about this throughout the winter, which could have served as a distraction, and we are going to take advantage of an International Teams' Management Group meeting next week to have an initial chat.

"We're starting the ball rolling, but at this stage we don't know whether this will all be settled in only one meeting."

Fletcher is expected to be offered a contract to take him to the end of the 2005 season and the next visit of Australia.

"They're going to sit down and chat with me, that's all I know," he revealed.

"I think it's important that something like that should be sorted out before we go away on an important cricket tour."