Gary Kirsten, who has been closely associated with Indian cricket for most of the years now, was directly involved with the Indian team from 2008 to 2011, and after a long time, Kirsten returned to India to coach various IPL teams as well. However, he was coaching Gujarat Titans in the IPL. And, now, at the Twenty20 World Cup, he is coaching the Pakistan team as well.
“Well, I’ve been with the team for 13 days, so it’s early days for me,” said the former India World Cup-winning coach. “It’s been a real privilege to work with a Pakistan team. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the players, they’re lovely guys, they’re giving their best for their country, and in the end, everyone’s got a different way of playing the game. My job really is to understand that way and how it integrates into what we’re trying to do as a team.”
Being a thorough professional, Gary Kirsten knows how to adapt to the demands of this job as well. However, there have been questions about whether he would share insights about the Indian team as well and he stated that the knowledge about international teams is available mostly in the public domain.
“The way that I’d answer that is I think these players have seen enough of each other and how they play. In the end we want to make sure that we get our game right. Look at the conditions and what is required on the conditions because I think that’s going to be a big play for tomorrow. I think it is a little bit different because it’s not in India or Pakistan. I went for a ride early this morning, which I like doing most mornings, and I certainly rode around the stadium a little bit and I kind of felt that there’s going to be a good vibe there tomorrow. So that’s going to be exciting for us all to have that many people that have come out to support the two teams,” Kirsten said.
However, Gary Kirsten’s start with the Pakistan team wasn’t easy, with the team losing their opening match to the lower-ranked USA. He faced a lot of questions regarding how he plans to motivate the players and lift them from the defeat as well.
“It’s never nice not winning games of cricket for any player. They’re trying their best. It’s never nice. I don’t think I needed to motivate this team for this game. I think the important thing for us is that we operate genuinely as a team. Yes, we need individuals to make good performances, but playing games like this, I think is a real team effort. It’s a big game, so we’re going to treat it as any other game. But certainly, give it our best shot. The team’s motivated. I mean, if that’s what you’re questioning, two days ago is forgotten. We can’t take it back. It’s gone. So, move on,” Gary Kirsten concluded.
