Expect more overseas-born players, as well as overseas-born coaches like Steve Rixon and newcomer Andy Moles, to be part of New Zealand cricket teams in the future.
New Zealand and other international sides have often had the occasional overseas-born player in the past but the number seems set to increase.
The primary reason has been the decision of young South Africans to make their careers outside their home country, particularly in New Zealand and England.
Kevin Pietersen now captains England, much, one imagines, to the astonishment of some of the members at Lords, and compatriot opening batsman Andrew Strauss is one of his team-mates.
They are by no means the first.
Basil D'Oliveira played for England from the late-1960s and Allan Lamb and Robin Smith followed, as did Zimbabwean Graeme Hick.
Overseas players have long been a feature of English county cricket and there are now an increasing number who are part of the New Zealand domestic programme.
They include South Africans Kuger van Wyk and Johan Myburgh (Canterbury), Grant Elliott (Wellington), Neil Wagner (Otago), BJ Watling (Northern Districts) and Carl Cachopa (Auckland) and Zimbabwean Colin de Grandhomme (Auckland).
The difference between now and some years ago is that most of these players are keen to qualify for, and play for New Zealand.
Englishman Neil Mallender, for example, played for Otago for almost a decade but he never sought to become a Black Cap even though he almost certainly would have been chosen.
"I'm a Yorkshireman and an Englishman and I'm proud of that," he said.
His persistence paid off in the end for he was eventually selected for England and took five wickets against Pakistan on his debut.
You could put together a handy New Zealand team from those born overseas.
They include Justin Vaughan, Roger Twose, Vic Pollard, Mark Haslam and Roy Harford (England), Tom Puna (India), Sam Guillen (West Indies), Ken Hough, Scott Styris, Mathew Sinclair, Tama Canning and Aaron Redmond (Australia), Elliott (South Africa) and Dipak Patel (Kenya).
Many came to New Zealand at an early age. Only Twose, Redmond, Elliott and Patel moved to New Zealand essentially as a cricket career move.
But just as English county cricket threatened to be over-run by overseas players during the late-1970s and early-1980s, there needs to be a balance to ensure New Zealand-born-and-bred players are given every encouragement to develop careers at first-class level.
Two overseas-born players a team would seem a sensible limit.
That would not include players like Redmond, whose father Rodney is a Kiwi, and others born overseas but who have lived in New Zealand since boyhood.
There are benefits both ways, as Otago knows.
Billy Ibadulla was an outstanding professional and a world-class coach who subsequently made his home in Dunedin; and Mallender, in particular, Matthew Maynard and Jonathan Trott gave fine service to the province.
Where it becomes an issue for many is when an overseas-born player becomes a contentious selection in the New Zealand team, as was the case with Elliott for the first test against Australia in Brisbane.
Elliott is a very useful all-rounder, and particular adept at the one-day game, but you would have to question whether he is good enough to play at test level as a batsman or bowler.
The balance of the New Zealand team would have been improved considerably if Peter Fulton had been brought in to bat at No 5, the dogged Daniel Flynn batted at No 6 and Brendon McCullum moved back to No 7, where he has made most of his test runs.
The challenge for Elliott is to prove himself good enough to play at test level as a batsman, bowler or all-rounder. He's not there yet.
There have not been many New Zealanders play their cricket for other countries.
Dunedin-born Clarrie Grimmett, the great Australian leg-spinner, and Canterbury pace bowler Andrew Caddick, who played 62 tests for England between 1993 and 2003, are two of the best known.
The New Zealand domestic scene is comparatively healthy at present but administrators need to ensure it stays that way.
