PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

There has been mixed reaction to the West Indies Cricket Board's appointment of Australian John Dyson as head coach of the West Indies team.

Omar Khan, the T&T team manager, said he found it surprising that Dyson was given the job ahead of a number of regional applicants.

"I just cannot understand the thinking of the West Indies Cricket Board in making this decision. Going to another Australian after Bennett King and David Moore is not the right move. I thought that they would have gone for one of the regional guys," Khan said.

"The coach of the West Indies team needs to understand our culture and background in the sport to be successful. I was particularly disappointed that David Williams was overlooked because I think he is an excellent coach, who has the ability to get his players to respond."

Williams who is coach of the successful T&T cricket team said he wished Dyson all the best.

All the best

"Any coach taking up the position, I would wish them all the best. Let's hope it works out this time," said the former West Indies wicketkeeper.

Former West Indies batsman and selector Joey Carew said he was not against a foreign coach once he has got the job done.

"I know little of the man but what I can say is that I am going to be very happy if he can get results," said Carew, who played 19 Tests between 1963 and 1972. "If he has been given the job, it means that he has some credentials and we hope that he can inflame our cricketers to be more national minded.

"In this aspect, I would hope that probably among his management team would be a West Indian who can help in this aspect."

Former Test off-spinner Rangy Nanan said he would have loved to see a local coach given the job but questioned whether the players would have given him the required respect.

"I would have loved to see a local coach but I don't know whether the players would have given him that respect that they might give the foreign coach," Nanan said.

Former Test fast bowler Anthony Gray said the WICB needed to give locals the chance to get experience and bring a halt to looking outside the Caribbean.

"We continue to be too dependent on foreign people and we are not educating our own," the 44-year-old Gray said. "Bennett King and David Moore both failed because they came from a different culture and now we go back to another Australian."