CPL triumph adds to Donovan Miller's CV, but home coaching calling proves elusive

Donovan Miller should be celebrating. The team of which he is assistant coach, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, has just won the CPL, after all. It sustains a remarkable record of success for Miller in franchise cricket.

Instead his joy is tinged with disappointment. For while he does not struggle for work opportunities overseas, he continues to struggle at home in the UK. Put bluntly, despite helping teams to success in the South African T20 competition, the Global T20 (in Canada) and the CPL (he has now been involved in the coaching set-up which has reached five CPL finals and he's been involved in teams that have won the competition twice), he continues to struggle to gain work in England.

He does have some consultancy work at Essex. But while the flexibility of this has allowed him to accept opportunities overseas, he is frustrated that, despite his burgeoning collection of winner's medals, despite his experience in helping out with England's World Cup campaign, and despite a reference from Chris Silverwood, the England head coach, he is still obliged to travel outside the UK to gain regular, well-paid work.

"It feels as if I have to work 250 times harder to achieve half as much as some other coaches," Miller tells ESPNcricinfo. "I don't think of myself as a boastful man, so this is not easy to say but, if you look at my record, it is far better than many of those who seem to go from job to job without problem.

"I spent some time working for ACE [African Caribbean Engagement] a few weeks ago and, as a result, saw some Hundred games. I looked at all the coaches involved with both the teams and I did feel disappointed at not being involved. I would have thought, with my record, I might have been asked.

"I guess my question to you is: why is this happening? I feel things are slowly changing, but it would still be nice to see more opportunities for people from the African-Caribbean community in English cricket.

"It's hard to talk about these things. You get branded as 'bitter' or 'angry'. But if I don't speak out, it feels as if I'm not doing enough to change things."

From a financial perspective, life is pretty good for Miller. The money made from franchise cricket will keep him going and it's clear he is in demand elsewhere. He heads to the USA in the coming days and there is talk of further roles in Pakistan and the UAE. It was interesting to note that officials from Cricket West Indies were keen to chat to him after this CPL success, too. He is putting together quite a CV.

But that is only part of Miller's ambitions. He also wants to prove that, in modern, multi-cultural Britain, a Black man can rise to the top by merit. It's about much more than money to him.

"I applied for a bowling consultancy role with England's Under-19 side," he says. "It only lasted for about six weeks, it didn't pay very well and it would have meant I couldn't have gone to the CPL. But I promise you this: I would have taken it.

"Why? Because I want to show it can be done. I want to show a Black man can rise through merit to earn a top job coaching a national team. I want to be recognised in the land where I've made my home and I want to show my son this is a place where he can thrive and succeed.

"I didn't get an interview. And when I asked for feedback as to why that might be, they said the applications are reviewed anonymously, so they couldn't provide any.

"I've loved my time at the CPL. It's reaffirmed by belief that I'm good at what I do and I have something to offer."