Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina wish Gary Kirsten on his 50th birthday

The former South Africa cricketer who served his country for almost 12 years Gary Kirsten is celebrating his 50th birthday on Thursday. He was also the coach of the Men in Blue when they won the coveted World Cup under the leadership of MS Dhoni in 2011 at home. The members of that team Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina have wished on their ex-coach on his special day on social media.

Kirsten enjoyed his stint as a coach of Team India after taking over the position in 2008. His understanding with the then skipper Dhoni was excellent and the duo achieved greater heights for India during their respective tenure. Moreover, Kirsten was one of the most respected persons in the dressing room and always stayed away from controversies. Though he stepped down from the position after World Cup in 2011 his contribution to the Indian cricket will be always impeccable.

Sachin and Raina recall the memories

The two cricketers who played a crucial role in India winning the coveted title in 2011, Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina, took to microblogging site Twitter to wish their ex-coach and recalled the memories and laughs they shared in the dressing room. Sachin’s wish read, “We’ve had some good laughs over the years, @Gary_Kirsten. You’ve been a fantastic coach who has inspired and supported us when we needed it most. More importantly, you’ve been a good friend. #HappyBirthday.”

Raina posted an image of him carrying Gary Kirsten on his shoulders and termed him as an inspiration. He captioned the image as, “Happy birthday @Gary_Kirsten, you weren’t just a gritty opening batsman but also a truly inspiring coach and someone who helped achieve every Indian’s dream come true too!”

Here’s how Sachin and Raina wished Kirsten: