Cape Town, Jan 3: One of the architects of India’s success story in recent years is cricketing coach Gary Kirsten. The man has played a big role in the team’s rise to the No. 1 position in Test cricket. So believes, and rightly so, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Alluding to the approaching end of Kirsten’s tenure, MSD was quoted as saying by the Afrikaans weekly 'Rapport', "It will be very difficult to replace [Gary Kirsten] and we are going to miss him incredibly".
Dhoni added that Gary Kirsten had the uncanny ability to extract the best out of the players in pressure situations and India would sorely miss him if he did not renew his contract with the BCCI after the World Cup starting next month. Since before the start of the series in South Africa, there has been speculation that Kirsten may not continue as India’s coach after the all-important ODI tournament.
Acknowledging Kirsten’s contribution in making Team India a force to be reckoned with, he added, “We fought back after losing the first Test [in Centurion]. Gary's contribution to this cannot be overlooked. He understands the pressure of international cricket and knows how to get the best out of every player, even when there is incredible pressure on the side".
