Gary Kirsten revealed - How he became coach of the World Cup-winning Indian team

New Delhi Former South African batsman Gary Kirsten was never interested in coaching. That is why he had not been a part of any cricket related activity after playing cricket for a long time, but when two Indian veterans requested him to be the coach of the Indian team, they did not agree to it. However, two former veteran Indian players had convinced him to become the coach of the team, which he himself has revealed.

While speaking in the Cricket Collective Podcast, Gary Kirsten recalled the memories of 2007 in which he got the opportunity to coach the Indian team. Gary Kirsten said that he had gone on the invitation of Sunil Gavaskar, who was part of the coach selection panel, to interview for the post of head coach of the Indian team. Kirsten was appointed the coach of Team India after Greg Chappell stepped down as coach of the Indian team due to controversies.

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Gary Kirsten said, "I got an email from Sunil Gavaskar, in which I was seen as a candidate for the coach of the India team. I thought it was a trap. I didn't even think it appropriate to answer it. He sent another mail Sent and said can you come for the interview? I showed it to my wife and she said that it could be the wrong person. So it was a totally bizarre entry and right. I mean, I had no coaching experience or anything. "

Kirsten said that when he came to India for the interview, there was a meeting with the then captain Anil Kumble, so that the two were laughing at the possibility of being in contention for the position. He said, "I went for the interview, it was a bizarre experience in many ways, because I came to the interview and I see Anil Kumble, who is the current Indian captain, and he says, 'What are you doing here?' Have been? '. I said,' I've come for an interview to coach you! '. "So we laugh about it. It was a laughing matter. "

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Even though he had no coaching experience, Kirsten became one of the most successful India coaches of all time, topping the team in the Test rankings in 2009 and then winning the World Cup title to the team after two years. Talking about the interview, Kirsten said that he left without preparation and that it was current Indian coach Ravi Shastri, who was on the selection panel at the time.

After that, the former Proteas opener said, it was all done in seven minutes. Kirsten said, "… I was in a board meeting with these BCCI officials and it was quite intimidating; the board secretary said," Mr. Kirsten, would you like to present your vision for the future of Indian cricket? ? " To this I said, 'Well, I don't have a plan.' Nobody asked me to prepare anything for it. I just arrived there. "

"Ravi Shastri, who was in the selection committee, said to me, 'Gary, tell us, what did you guys do to defeat the Indians of the South African team?' I felt this was a great ice-breaker, because I could answer it and I responded with strategies in about two-three minutes without saying that we might use this day. He was suitably impressed, As was the rest of the board "

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Kirsten also went on to say that the contract was handed over to me by the board officials shortly after, but I noticed that Greg Chappell's name was still written on it. When Kirsten spoke to the officers about this, he immediately took out a pen from his pocket and removed his name and wrote Kirsten's name on it.