Gary Kirsten maybe India's new coach

[living]

In the past few months, all the Indian team has done is prove that a traditional coach with that traditional experience is not required!!

[dial_100]

All we need is a jonty rhodes as a coach. And leave VP as a bowling coach. Let VP learn few tricks from Jonty for field settings and all then make VP a full time coach of indian team. Pay him 1/3rd the money they waste on others. in few years you will see a big difference. The reason why we have very very good results these days because no one is bothering them. Trouble BCCI is having right now that they dont have anyone to put blame on when team doesn;'t perform. Especially, they can't target captain when team fails. So they go crazy on Juniors, kicking them all over. At least a guy like Jonty will give them nice drills to work on to improve their fielding technique, anticipating batsman' stroke, interacting with bowlers as to what he is planning to do. If we get 1 -2 wkts a match and save 10-15 runs in every match that means we will always play with advantage. Ever since these 3 great fielders of SA team have retired, they have started to lose regularly now.

[praveenj]

In the past few months' date=' all the Indian team has done is prove that a traditional coach with that traditional experience is not required!![/quote'] T+ on that.... our men don't need a coach who may want to teach them batting techniques or bowling techniques... who will try to teach batting to sachin, dravid etc? we need a coach who can keep the spirits up in the dressing room, someone to keep a watch on players and their mental struggles... buchanan was the best at that... i suppose he didn't play much cricket when he was taken as a coach of Oz

[Chandan]

Kirsten has agreed in principle to take over job: BCCI .

Kirsten not to go the 'Graham Ford way'

Gary Kirsten likely to be India's new coach

Okay, so it is OFFICIAL now. Gary Kirsten is the new coach for India. If you all have not read this, then here is his interview: 'It's a tremendous opportunity to get a job of this stature' Nagraj Gollapudi November 27, 2007 In the Test Colosseum Gary Kirsten was a gladiator second to none: always up for the challenge and well equipped to handle the demands of every situation. Today he stands at the cusp of another challenge, that of coaching India. In the following interview he tells the story of why he said yes to one of the most feared jobs in international cricket 'The important thing as coach is to keep a stable base emotionally.' © Getty Images It was a surprise for us to hear you were one of the contenders. Were you surprised too when the offer came along or you were expecting it? I was surprised when I received the offer. But it was absolutely a great honour to have the opportunity to be involved in the set-up. Although things are still at a discussion phase, if the job does come along it'll be a great opportunity for me. Who came up with the offer and how much time did it take before you decided to be interviewed? The whole process went by quite quickly. I got a call from the BCCI about a month ago and I took some time for my response and then got their response, asking if I would like to come over and have a chat. That all went relatively quickly, in a matter of a few weeks. How did the interview go? The interview went for about a couple of hours where I met members of the board's coaching committee. The meeting went absolutely fine. It was really for both sides to get a feel for each other, to understand how the process might work. I haven't received any sort of formal contract yet and it's still very much in the discussion phase. But things should get sorted relatively quickly either way. Unlike Graham Ford's interview, the board has been tight-lipped this time round? I prefer it that way actually. Did you consult with Ford or any other South Africa players? No, I didn't speak to anyone. What is the motivation behind taking such a high-profile and high-pressure job such as this? No motivation other than it's a great opportunity. I've always felt one should not shy away from challenges, and if the situation is such that I could take this job on, I would enjoy the challenge. It's a great honour to receive a note saying "Would you be interested in the job?" The most important thing was they approached me, I didn't approach them, so I suppose from that point of view one can be encouraged that they felt that there's something that I had when I was a player, or in more recent times, that I could offer this team The news is that you've been given one week to take your final decision. If that's true, what are the issues you need to take care of in the next seven days? Yes, that's correct. The most important thing is family. As we are aware, in international cricket you spend a lot of time away from home. I've got two young kids and it's a question of seeing them enough and still being able to do the job properly. That'll be the biggest issue and if we can get around that then certainly we can move forward in the discussions. I've had a chat with my wife and we have just got to take stock when I get back tomorrow, and have a few days of real thought to the process and look at it from all avenues. It's a tremendous opportunity to get a job of this stature. The former incumbent in the coach's job, Greg Chappell, was criticised for his inexperience, and over his unsuccessful coaching stint with his state side (South Australia). In your case, you don't have any formal coaching pedigree. Will that be an issue? I don't think it's an issue in that I'm certainly not going to come over and teach big players how to play cricket. They're all very experienced players and pretty much know what they need to do. My bigger role would be to make sure that each player plays to his full potential, and I've got some very definitive ideas how to optimise that potential. As for formal coaching experience, I've been involved in coaching for four years. I've been a Warriors batting consultant over the last two years, so I've had some exposure to the team environment and that gives me confidence too. Could you talk about your role with Cricket South Africa (CSA) as high performance manager, a position you held some time ago? I was the high performance manager for two years. My role was to work with young cricketing talent, a job that I really enjoyed and relished. I got a couple of other guys to help me run a series of camps identifying the top young players and putting in place a process in terms of their development as cricketers. I thoroughly enjoyed that job. Once I finished that contract in January 2006, I set up my own academy in Cape Town and did similar work, but that was more in a private capacity. Depending on whether I'll take this job or not, the long-term thing for me in the years to come is to be involved in cricket. It's my passion, it's my love, and I want to continue doing it. So, you are no longer contracted to CSA? Not at all. I'm on my own. 'There's nothing like having been out there in the Test match arena' © Getty Images Interestingly, after Chappell's exit in April, India have managed to stay afloat successfully without a coach. Going by that theory, it would suggest the team doesn't need a head coach as such. What are your views on that? The important thing is what role the coach plays. I just believe that a coach can come in and make sure that things are running smoothly. In any team environment where people are spending a lot of time together, you are always going to be confronted with certain issues that need to be addressed. A coach can play a very important role in maintaining harmony with the environment and again making sure each individual is in a space where he can play at his best as often as possible. You'll have some coaches that'll come aboard and say "You know, this is the way you are going to do things - it's my way or the highway." I'm certainly not one of those coaches. The Indian team is full of talented individuals. You come from a background where team ethic is given more emphasis rather the individualistic ethic that exists in India. Will that be a challenge? The impression I got was they are looking for someone to come in with a different way of thinking compared to what they are used to. Certainly, I would, maybe, continue in the style that I used while I was playing, and impart information as to why it might be relevant and why it might be important. It's important to realise that every player is different and has a different way of thinking about the game and it's a question of making sure that you get the best out of each guy. As a player you played some masterful knocks, particularly under pressure. How different do you think coaching will be? The pressure as a coach is little bit different because you can't get out there on the park. The important thing is to keep a stable base emotionally. When the guys are going there in heated battle, it's a tough environment to operate in, so I certainly think the recent experience I've had in Test-match battle will help my ideas and my thinking in how to get a message across to the players. There's nothing like having been out there in the Test match arena and understanding for yourself what the pressures are. I certainly look forward to passing on that sort of information and hoping it gives them an opportunity to understand it better. When the guys are going there in heated battle, it's a tough environment to operate in, so I certainly think the recent experience I've had in Test match battle will help my ideas and my thinking in how to get a message across to the players. There's nothing like having been out there in the Test match arena and understanding for yourself what the pressures are India's captains, Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, are new in the leadership role. Will that be a challenge or will it help you form strategies from scratch? I've met Anil and contacted him during this Delhi visit. I know him pretty well, having played against him, and I'm very impressed with him as an individual. With his experience, that can only add value to the team environment. A coach and a captain have to operate as a partnership, so I'll certainly be looking to create a closer partnership with him. Equally, in the one-day setup I was very impressed with Dhoni's captaincy as with his composure and the way he went about his business. Would you be happy continuing with the current backroom staff? I need to get to know those individuals and what they offer, but they are all professionals and I don't think that would be an issue. If everything works out, is there a possibility that you might join the team during the Bangalore Test of the ongoing Pakistan series? No, that won't be possible. That's obviously one of the issues we are discussing at the moment. I have some long-standing commitments in South Africa that I need to honour. So at the moment we're still at the question of when I'm going to begin. So when will you be free to take over? Probably early next year. We are actually negotiating if I can join sometime during the Australia series. In a week's time everything should be clear. Finally, what do you make of your prospects for the job? The most important thing was they approached me, I didn't approach them, so I suppose from that point of view one can be encouraged that they felt that there's something that I had when I was a player, or in more recent times, that I could offer this team. And that gives me a tremendous sense of confidence - to know that I've been backed to that amount or level. I'm pretty circumspect about it; it's not a life-threatening situation for me, so if the job comes along, I'll do it as best I can.

[jacky007]

On 1996 tour, Gary Kirsten hated India NEW DELHI: Quiz question: Which South African cricketer wrote the following words for a journal in his 1996-97 India tour dairy: "62 days in a country where westernised living conditions are regarded a luxury is no task for the faint-hearted." Answer: Gary Kirsten. In fact, his tour diary indicates that the former opening batsmen had problems with almost every aspect of the Indian condition: food, socializing, travelling. The tour diary was published in the December 1996-January 1997 issue of SA Cricket Action. Kirsten also wrote that "to spread cricket to all corners of India, we played in what could politely be classed as one-horse towns, places with more cows on the street than cars." For the record, the South Africans played one-day games in Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Faridabad, Rajkot, Guwahati and Mumbai. The Tests were played at Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Kanpur. "I'll never forget arriving in Rajkot — laughter broke out in the bus when we were told we had reached our hotel, yet there didn't seem to be one in sight. It was actually above another building... A sense of humour is a necessity on this tour," wrote Kirsten. One wonders how the present BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, who hails from Rajkot, would react to that. Kirsten, who has been offered a two-year term with a package similar to Greg Chappell's, had also cribbed about the unavailability of direct flights to a playing destination. source: TOI NEW DELHI, November 28: Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten, who is likely to be appointed Team India's coach soon, wrote in his 1996-97 India tour diary that conditions in India were daunting. "To expect teams to perform at consistently high levels when faced with such arrangements is absurd and unfair on the players, who are judged on every single performance," he wrote. Kirsten said there are very few new cars (in India), and most are dented and in bad shape. "There's no point in having a decent car in India because it will get wrecked in no time," he said in the tour diary. And food? "In a westernised country, you survive on certain types of food which are virtually non-existent here... We tried some of the local meat (in Ahmedabad) but when we were told it was water buffalo - we tended to stay away from red meat after that," the South African wrote. He also had problems with the absence of socializing options. "Socializing in India is pretty much hotel-bound - there are no real places to go out. It gets quite boring and tedious trying to occupy yourself - one of the rigours of touring India," wrote Kirsten. Hope 10 years later, Kirsten finds enough to see India in a new light. And not just because he is about to land himself a plush job in India. Source:TOI

[varun]

Well things have changed quite a bit in India in the last 11 years, maybe that's why he's reconsidering it :P

[praveenj]

Thank god, he did not write there "BCCI arranged meetings with the bookies" Huh....

[bharat297]

So what ... I am Indian (although I have lived in Australia most of my life) and there are aspects about India that I dont like either ... he doesn't need to think India is the greatest place on earth to be a good coach.