'Sachin Tendulkar was unhappy when I joined the team' - Gary Kirsten reveals stirring details from 2007

Former South Africa cricketer and current coach Gary Kirsten has revealed some grave and stirring details from his tenure as team India head coach that started back in 2007. The year 2007 was a time to forget in ODI cricket for the Indian men's cricket team, as they went through some of the most humiliating defeats that also included the infamous first-round ODI World Cup exit that had brutally shaken the Indian dressing room and management.

Gary Kirsten stated that things within the Indian team at that time were very sensitive, and with him joining them absolutely new, his job initally was very difficult. He knew that the Indian team was extremely talented, all they needed at that point of time was a perfect leader and a massive turn-around, to eventually transform them into a side to beat in world cricket.

There was a lot of scaring within the team: Gary Kirsten states gloom within team

"The standout for me then was what kind of leadership was then required to take this very talented team and turn it into a world-beating team. That was the conundrum for any coach moving into that situation. When I took over there was definitely a lot of scaring in the team. There was a lot of unhappiness and hence for me it was more important to understand each individual and where they felt they fit in the team and what was going to make them play cricket for the sheer joy," the 55-year-old said while speaking to  to Adam Collins in 'The Final Word cricket podcast' show on YouTube.

Kirsten, while opening up, made a special mention about Sachin Tendulkar. He stated that the master blaster was absolutely devastated with the happenings in Indian cricket at the time, and he was massively depressed to the extent of even contemplating retirement.

"Sachin was probably a stand out for me because he was deeply unhappy at the time that I joined the team. He felt he had a lot to offer, but he wasn't enjoying his cricket and he was at a time in his career when he felt may be he should retire. It was important for me to connect with him and make him feel that he had a massive contribution to make to the team and his contribution was more than what he needed to do," he added

On an ending note, Kirsten lauded MS Dhoni's presence in the team, stating that he was definitely the perfect leader India desperately needed, and that made his job as a coach a lot more easier gradually.

"Any coach would want a group of players playing for the name on the front of the shorts and not the name on the back of the shirt. India is a tough place with a lot of hype around individual superstars and you often get lost in what your own personal needs are. And Dhoni meanwhile was standout as a leader as he was so focused on the team doing well he wanted to win trophies and have great success and he was very public about that. And that pulled a lot of other guys into line and quite simply Sachin started enjoying cricket as well," he explained.

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