Ireland may have deservedly claimed most of the positive headlines in Associate cricket recently, but Pete Steindl has been orchestrating a quiet revolution on the Scottish circuit.
When the beetle-browed Australian was first appointed as national coach, he faced a major rebuilding programme, following the retirement of a string of experienced personnel.
But although Steindl isn't inclined to toot his own horn, his endeavours behind the scenes have ensured that his squad will depart for the United Arab Emirates later this week in considerably better shape than they were two or three years ago.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, his central focus is the future, not the past, yet there are myriad reasons for him to believe his youthful personnel can attain positive results in the next couple of months, commencing with their Intercontinental Cup clash against the UAE, followed by the World T20 qualifying shoot-out in Dubai.
And despite this gruelling schedule, Steindl has the air of a man uninterested in the possibility of failure.
"There are key areas that we have sought to address in training, particularly fitness and increasing our individual awareness. There is a lot of ambition within the squad and I believe that this will enable us to seek the type of performances we are striving for.
"The last two years have seen improved performances on the park, with us making the finals of the World Cricket League and Intercontinental Cup in 2010, and then, last year, we had five out of five one-day wins against our fellow Associates. However, we don't believe we are where we want to be yet, and feel we have to develop certain areas of our game to improve and become more consistent. This honesty and ambition to get better leads me to believe that, as a group, we are heading in the right direction."
Much of the publicity surrounding Scotland has focused on such stalwarts as Kyle Coetzer, Richie Berrington and Majid Haq, or the emergence of exciting youngsters in the mould of Josh Davey, Safyaan Sharif and Matty Parker.
None the less, it is typical of Steindl's methodical approach to his role that he should significantly talk up the accomplishments of his captain, Gordon Drummond, another undemonstrative character, who has grafted unstintingly to improve his own standards, but never at the expense of his colleagues.
"I rate Gordon's leadership qualities and believe that he has provided the stability and vision we required with this squad. He never seeks the plaudits as an individual, and always leads by example, especially in terms of knowing his role, training hard, and stepping up to the plate when the pressure is really on," said Steindl.
"He is a good man-manager and always tries to get the best out of those around him. In many ways, one of his best qualities is that he has the experience of somebody who has now played 89 games for his country, but still has the enthusiasm of somebody playing their first match. This is important when you have to challenge yourself constantly to meet the increasing demands of the modern game and be a role model for the current squad and those aspiring to play for Scotland. Also, Gordon thinks that he needs to improve, and he is always looking to learn new things and do things better."
Drummond's confreres will have to switch between different formats on their extended trip to the Middle East, but one suspects that their principal focus will be the ODIs against the UAE and the hectic itinerary of the World T20 event, when they will be tasked with seven matches in eight days. Given the quick-fire nature of these contests, I asked Steindl whether he regarded the tournament – from which only two of 16 sides will advance into the lucrative main competition – as a lottery. But it was obvious from his response that he reckons his men have the requisite ingredients to get the job done.
"There is no doubt about it, it is a tough schedule [in Dubai], and this will ultimately influence who qualifies, but I don't think that it's a lottery," declared Steindl.
"T20 cricket lends itself to upsets and unpredictability in many ways. You can win or lose a game in the space of a couple of balls, which is probably its greatest appeal, and the thing that has helped make it a successful and exciting format on the world stage."
Whatever transpires on their imminent sojourn, the probability is that Steindl won't be swayed from his philosophy that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains. That pragmatism has helped him steer his adopted country through some choppy waters and the softly-spoken helmsman appreciates he won't be dropping anchor anytime soon.