Not At This Stage – Gary Kirsten On Reprising His Role As Team India Head Coach

Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten has revealed that he isn’t looking to reprise his role as the Indian head coach in the near future. He also praised Indian skipper Virat Kohli and the progress he has made in his captaincy over the years.

Gary Kirsten took over as India’s coach after the infamous exit under Greg Chappell in the 2007 World Cup. There were a lot of expectations once he joined the team, and he guided the side to the 2011 ODI World Cup at home and ended a 28-year drought for the trophy.

At the moment, India is set to undergo changes in its coaching staff after the T20 World Cup. Ravi Shastri’s contract runs out and it’s widely rumored that he may not get a renewal. When Kirsten was asked if he would apply for the role in November, he said:

“Not at this stage. I’m involved in a business called CoachED which focuses on providing access to online coaching certification for coaches in academies, schools, and associate countries.”

“I’m passionate about coach education and I know, with personal experience, the value of quality coaching for any player. CoachED has afforded me the privileged opportunity to serve the game globally and work with young aspiring coaches,” Kirsten mentioned.

“Virat Kohli is doing a fantastic job for his country” – Gary Kirsten

Although Kirsten left the coaching role almost a decade ago, he continues to be up-to-date with the happenings in the Indian team. The Protean was particularly impressed with the way 32-year-old Indian skipper, Virat Kohli has developed and led the Indian side.

“I have really only done one season with him as captain. He is doing a fantastic job for his country. Like any young captain, with more experience and understanding of what it takes, he has got better and better.”

“There are many fantastic match-winners in the Indian team, currently. India have very successfully moved ahead of the game and are using their primary competitive advantage (depth of players) to great benefit across all the formats,” he added.

Kirsten was also the coach of RCB in the 2019 IPL season. The team, unfortunately, had one of its worst seasons, finishing in eighth place with just five wins from 14 matches.

Also Read – Ben Stokes’ Absence Will Hurt England’s Ashes Chances More Than Their T20 Prospects – Michael Atherton