Indian coaches would be subjected to the pushes and pulls of regions and castes. A coach would be criticised for allegedly showing favouritism to players from his region. If, however, an Indian coach disregards this

Indian trait and supports players from other regions, he would also come under attack. Remember that assault on Chappell by a young man at Bhubaneswar because no one from Orissa had been included in the Indian team? We cannot escape regional attitudes completely, but at least we should ensure that they play as limited a role as possible in our cricket.

A foreign coach comes infused with the team spirit. He is expected to know the latest training techniques. Best of all, for him all Indians are equal. These characteristics cannot be expected of any Indian coach — harsh though this may sound. Only a foreign coach can instill the spirit of playing as a team in cricketers and put the boys through new training techniques.

If this process of training and team building is handled well, there is no reason why Team India cannot reach the finals in the next World Cup.