Can Lanka afford to have a Lankan coach after Ford ?

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The exit of Graham Ford from the role of Sri Lanka cricket coach has spawned the question of whether our cricket administrators should consider filling the vacancy with a local candidate. This week the Sunday Times asked the public if the time was right for Sri Lanka Cricket to make such a move or if they should continue pursuing international options.

Foreign coaches would be good because if you put in a local coach there is the possibility that he will be controlled so he won’t be able to work independently. This won’t happen with a foreign coach. He won’t bow down to anyone and if he doesn’t like the setup he will leave. - Rehan Perera (Student)	There is no problem with a local coach taking over; they certainly possess the knowledge and the ability. I suppose the only reason they shouldn’t be considered is the fact that there could be interference. Sometimes it might be difficult if they have played in the same era as other players in the team. - Avishka Gunawardena (Former national cricketer)
I think a local coach would be good because it is good to encourage our coaches rather than waste money on foreigners. Even if the foreign coaches bring in their expertise it will cost a lot to implement it. - Clinton de Alwis (Official at a local cricket club)	I think it is good to appoint a local coach because now our game has developed and we have plenty of former cricketers who are of a world class standard. Some of our local coaches have even gone abroad for coaching jobs. A Lankan coach will also have a sense of patriotism when he is coaching his country and will be willing to sacrifice and commit to his job. - D. P Jayatissa (Security officer)
I prefer a local coach because I know that when you are playing under a foreign coach things can be difficult. Our culture is different so they can’t properly adapt to it, and a local coach will know about our players. For example when Sangakkara was coming up coaches would have known about him and his style and mentality so they know what kind of player he is and how to train him. Rather than a foreign coach it would be better to have a foreign adviser on the team. - Eranga Swarnatillake (National rugby player)	I always prefer a local coach, it makes a huge difference. It makes things easier when there is no language barrier. Local coaches also understand local conditions and player attitudes better so they can be more effective. - A. Francke (Official at a local cricket club)
I am in favour of international coaches because they are properly qualified and have suitable experience. Most of them would have coached in Country Cricket or in other leagues so that exposure gives them an advantage. The only local coaches who I feel are good enough are Roy Dias and Rumesh Ratnayake. - Rasika Karunatilake (Corporate Sector employee)	A foreign coach would be better for us. Right now we are doing well because of Ford. If we suddenly bring in a local coach it might upset our current form. - Ashiq Nizad (Club cricketer)
We have good local coaches and I feel that now is the right time to give them a chance even though they have not had great success in the past. At the end of the day, how successful you are as a coach also depends a lot on luck. - Rashmi Jinan (Club cricketer)