There are various options in cricket betting as to what to bet on but as Alan Donald joins the England coaching setup, I think a bet on Harmison getting some five wicket hauls in the coming tests would be a good place to put your money.

As Steve Harmison got off to another shaky start today in the second cricket test against the West Indies, one has to ask how long you have to nurse-maid a test match bowler before he can cope on his own. Mental toughness is a big part of today’s top cricket players, just look at the Aussies - each player is focused and dogged in their performances and you never really think that you’re through their batting line up until they’re all back in the pavilion.

But with Steve Harmison, he’s been around for a long time now and still hasn’t been able to develop that tunnel vision, consistency and self-belief that would carry him through each test bowling fast and accurately. I was one of Alan Donald’s biggest fans when he was a player. Now in his retirement from the action, he comes across as a coach who wants a return to the simpler, more relaxed style of coaching - a removal of a lot of the technical tools used nowadays.

 I think Steve Harmison is going to benefit tremendously from Donald’s input. People think that gaining in self-confidence is a quick fix. Not so - I know from experience. Self-belief and confidence can only be built in a gradual manner to make it permanently instilled into your character. This said, it therefore would seem to make sense to give Donald a longer stint than the 5 weeks currently allocated for his first coaching slot.