New coach must understand the dynamics of Proteas cricket: Gary Kirsten

Former South Africa batsman Gary Kirsten spoke about the need of understanding the cricket culture for a coach to be successful. He was invited to speak at the 10th annual International Forum on Elite Sport in Durban where the former left-hander gave an insight on his modus operandi while being the coach of India which also helped them win a World Cup in 2011.

Different proposition for a foreign coach

Right after India’s triumph at the Wankhede, Kirsten walked into the sunset, unwilling to renew his contract due to personal reasons. He did not want to spend much time away from family and later took up the South African coaching job for two years. The 49-year old emphasized the difference between coaching two countries, though the role remained the same.

“I think I had a bit of naivety when it came to the politics of international cricket, and the issues that exist. I quite enjoyed that,” he told Independent Media. “It was a lot different to when I coached the Proteas, for example. I was not divorced from the bigger issues (in SA cricket).

“I was aware of them. I think the important thing is to contextualize those issues and work out a system that is brought into by everyone,” he said of the challenge of the modern coach.

Next coach must bring outside approach

South Africa, of course, are looking for a new coach and Ottis Gibson is the frontrunner to get the job. Kirsten warned that Gibson must bring an outside approach to the proceedings and understand the culture of South African cricket.

“If Ottis gets the job, then he will have to have to understand the dynamics of SA cricket in order to be a success,” Kirsten warned. “I guess the one danger for a foreign coach is to try to bring an outside approach, a ‘best thinking’ philosophy to the job. For me, I realized that I couldn’t come with my South African way, and expect to be a success.

“I needed to understand how to get the best out of the Indian team, the Indian way. So you can’t come with a South African way, or the All Black way, or the Manchester United way. You need to understand the environment you are operating in,” he emphasized.

Long road ahead for the Proteas before WC 2019

South Africa received delightful news a few days ago when their star cricketer AB de Villiers committed himself to all three formats. Mysteriously, the Proteas have failed to win a single World Cup since their readmission in 1991. There is still time for the next one which is scheduled to take place in England in 2019. Kirsten believes that the new coach has time to build a strong unit for the mega event but would need success early on to boost his confidence.

“I do think the Proteas have enough time between now and the World Cup. Two years is a long time, and there is a lot of experience there.

“A new coach will need a bit of success (early), of course,” he explained.

After losing all three series in England to go with a first-round elimination in the ICC Champions Trophy in June, South Africa are low on confidence. With de Villiers and Amla aging, they need their younger guys to put their hands up in order to make sure a smooth transition.