In contrast, Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin shone like a beacon. Speed was his main forte. Then he set a trend. He began to wear tights to cover his thighs and knees. Quick to emulate him were the younger set of players in the national team - among them Nor Azlan Bakar and Chairil Anwar Aziz.
Nor Saiful revolutionised the way the players conducted themselves off and on the pitch by being the spiritual leader of the team. Read here.
So I'm pretty sure the Beng Hai-Nor Saiful duet have given their best, which culminated with the team's silver medal display in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. But the daggers were out in Dublin after the team failed to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Naturally their position is up for speculation. Malaysia are looking at a Dutch contingent to replace the Beng Hai-Nor Saiful tandem. Read here
I suggest let's read Beng Hai's full report following the Dublin debacle first, before making any decision.
NSC, as the agency in charge of high-performance, should lead the way, conduct a study and investigate the issues raised by Beng Hai before opting for the foreign route.
In the meantime let's hope the national team does well in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.