Brisbane: So what’s the problem with local talent? When it comes to coaches, why is it that most of the Asian countries (and the West Indies to some extent) don’t believe in the expertise of their own countrymen? Is it because they know that the cricketers themselves don’t respect local authority or is it still a colonial hangover that refuses to dispense with the notion that ‘the firang’ the foreigner, is necessarily more qualified to do the job? Sport remains the last bastion of this cultural cringe that still refuses to shed the cloak of colonial deference. Is there a valid reason for this or is it a subconscious inferiority complex?

Consider the senior cricket coaching and support staff for most of the non-white cricket nations and you’ll see what I mean. When was the last time a local coach, doctor or physiotherapist was employed for any length of time? More to the point, why not? Is it a genuine lack of knowledge and experience? Is it because the foreign coach commands more respect? If so, why is that the case?