Gary Kirsten has delivered results for India and Gujarat Titans in the IPL and now he has another intriguing challenge ahead of him as Pakistan’s white-ball coach.
Yuvraj Singh, who was named man of the match at the 2011 World Cup, has termed Singh as the best manager he has ever coached, and other members of that victorious tournament, including Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, have also heaped praise on Singh’s player management skills.
Former South African opener Gary Kirsten holds a special place in the hearts of Indian cricket fans as ‘Guru Gary’ after his calm and collected leadership from the backstage for three years (2008-2011) after two turbulent years under manager Greg Chappell.
Kirsten will take up the role of Pakistan’s white-ball coach after a successful stint with Gujarat Titans in the IPL as their mentor and batting coach.
India will take on Pakistan in the T20 World Cup at the Nassau County Ground in New York on June 9 and Kirsten, who will be sitting on the green bench, may have trade secrets about the Indian players available to the Pakistan team.
Or is it? Well-known mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who worked with the Indian team as part of Kirsten’s support staff, doesn’t think so. “These days, video analysis and data on every player is detailed and well known to all opponents. Most players in the world have deep personal insight into players on other teams from playing in various leagues across the world. Given the extensive and detailed knowledge already out there, I don’t think there is much of an ‘insider advantage’ that Kirsten can bring to the India vs Pakistan match,” Upton told TOI.
Kirsten has worked closely with video analyst Prasanna Agoram while with South Africa from 2011-2013 and Delhi Daredevils from 2014-2015 and for Agoram, Kirsten’s people management skills have stood out.
“He is a process-based coach and not one who relies too much on match-ups and confusing data. Unless there is a drastic dip in a player’s performance, he focuses on process-based things and ticks all the boxes. It is only if a player is failing for two-three months by repeating the same mistakes that he steps in after looking at the footage and data that I give to him. But he is someone who builds a strong relationship with his players,” Agoram told TOI.
Kirsten is also good at avoiding aimless practice, an example of which can be seen in the 2012 Adelaide Test against Australia that Agoram recalls.
“He would pick 11 players and change the 12th player every day. The 14th and 15th members of the team had the choice to come to the ground, go out or relax in the hotel.”
Former India’s dashing opener Virender Sehwag, who has had a fruitful career revival under Kirsten, while talking to reporters, had hinted that Kirsten was aware of how much work each player needed.
“A coach should know who needs how much practice. Kirsten was the best in that regard. He always put 50 balls in the nets. Rahul Dravid 200, Sachin Tendulkar 300, Gautam Gambhir 400. After that, he told us to go to the hotel and relax,” Sehwag said.
But Kirsten could also be tough. During the 2009 T20 World Cup, he told Yuvraj that at 41, he was in better shape than the hard-hitting left-hander. The words resonated with the talented player and he began making better choices off the field, culminating in his man of the series performance in the 2011 World Cup.
On his ability to dispense tough love to his players, Upton said, “Gary prefers diplomacy over conflict. He brings a natural calm to those around him, yet is professional enough to have tough conversations when necessary, and he does so with his characteristic calm. When taking on senior players, it is always important to build trust first.” So what advantages does Kirsten bring to Pakistan?
“He has the experience of working in a foreign culture and the awareness that comes with it. He will listen and seek to understand, and he will also understand the emotion and enthusiasm of the fans and the media. He will have developed a certain thick skin which is very important in this type of environment,” Upton feels.
Aghoram also highlighted Kirsten’s talent management skills and her ability to devote time and energy to player-coach relationships.
“If he wants to convey that to Fakhar Zaman, who has batted as number four all his life, it all comes down to trust. If a player trusts his coach, he will say, ‘OK, I’ll be in’. Often times, players say they feel uncomfortable when asked to change roles. But I am sure the fatherly love that Gary gives to his players will help him in such situations. He is a very calm coach, he doesn’t get excited when we win and doesn’t get disheartened when we lose. I have never seen him get angry. Pakistan have made some great choices,” emphasises Aghram.
I leave it to Babar’s sons to prove this correct.
Yuvraj Singh, who was named man of the match at the 2011 World Cup, has termed Singh as the best manager he has ever coached, and other members of that victorious tournament, including Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, have also heaped praise on Singh’s player management skills.
Former South African opener Gary Kirsten holds a special place in the hearts of Indian cricket fans as ‘Guru Gary’ after his calm and collected leadership from the backstage for three years (2008-2011) after two turbulent years under manager Greg Chappell.
Kirsten will take up the role of Pakistan’s white-ball coach after a successful stint with Gujarat Titans in the IPL as their mentor and batting coach.
India will take on Pakistan in the T20 World Cup at the Nassau County Ground in New York on June 9 and Kirsten, who will be sitting on the green bench, may have trade secrets about the Indian players available to the Pakistan team.
Or is it? Well-known mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who worked with the Indian team as part of Kirsten’s support staff, doesn’t think so. “These days, video analysis and data on every player is detailed and well known to all opponents. Most players in the world have deep personal insight into players on other teams from playing in various leagues across the world. Given the extensive and detailed knowledge already out there, I don’t think there is much of an ‘insider advantage’ that Kirsten can bring to the India vs Pakistan match,” Upton told TOI.
Kirsten has worked closely with video analyst Prasanna Agoram while with South Africa from 2011-2013 and Delhi Daredevils from 2014-2015 and for Agoram, Kirsten’s people management skills have stood out.
“He is a process-based coach and not one who relies too much on match-ups and confusing data. Unless there is a drastic dip in a player’s performance, he focuses on process-based things and ticks all the boxes. It is only if a player is failing for two-three months by repeating the same mistakes that he steps in after looking at the footage and data that I give to him. But he is someone who builds a strong relationship with his players,” Agoram told TOI.
Kirsten is also good at avoiding aimless practice, an example of which can be seen in the 2012 Adelaide Test against Australia that Agoram recalls.
“He would pick 11 players and change the 12th player every day. The 14th and 15th members of the team had the choice to come to the ground, go out or relax in the hotel.”
Former India’s dashing opener Virender Sehwag, who has had a fruitful career revival under Kirsten, while talking to reporters, had hinted that Kirsten was aware of how much work each player needed.
“A coach should know who needs how much practice. Kirsten was the best in that regard. He always put 50 balls in the nets. Rahul Dravid 200, Sachin Tendulkar 300, Gautam Gambhir 400. After that, he told us to go to the hotel and relax,” Sehwag said.
But Kirsten could also be tough. During the 2009 T20 World Cup, he told Yuvraj that at 41, he was in better shape than the hard-hitting left-hander. The words resonated with the talented player and he began making better choices off the field, culminating in his man of the series performance in the 2011 World Cup.
On his ability to dispense tough love to his players, Upton said, “Gary prefers diplomacy over conflict. He brings a natural calm to those around him, yet is professional enough to have tough conversations when necessary, and he does so with his characteristic calm. When taking on senior players, it is always important to build trust first.” So what advantages does Kirsten bring to Pakistan?
“He has the experience of working in a foreign culture and the awareness that comes with it. He will listen and seek to understand, and he will also understand the emotion and enthusiasm of the fans and the media. He will have developed a certain thick skin which is very important in this type of environment,” Upton feels.
Aghoram also highlighted Kirsten’s talent management skills and her ability to devote time and energy to player-coach relationships.
“If he wants to convey that to Fakhar Zaman, who has batted as number four all his life, it all comes down to trust. If a player trusts his coach, he will say, ‘OK, I’ll be in’. Often times, players say they feel uncomfortable when asked to change roles. But I am sure the fatherly love that Gary gives to his players will help him in such situations. He is a very calm coach, he doesn’t get excited when we win and doesn’t get disheartened when we lose. I have never seen him get angry. Pakistan have made some great choices,” emphasises Aghram.
I leave it to Babar’s sons to prove this correct.