No matter what you thought about the ideal make-up of England’s Test team, it was hard not to feel for Dawid Malan last summer.
When it was announced earlier this month that Nic Pothas would be joining Middlesex as Stuart Law’s right-hand man, it signalled a reunion for the pair of coaches.
It would be inaccurate to say Middlesex ended last season on a bum note; perhaps a minor chord would be more appropriate. Though they won five of their last seven Championship games, they missed out on all pre-season targets – promotion and reaching the knockout stages of both white-ball competitions – with the head and batting coaches’ departures also serving to create a ponderous atmosphere among Middlesex fans.