Gary Kirsten - Making champions behind the scenes

In the last few days, there’s been only one name that’s made news in the sports world – Sir Alex Ferguson. The 71-year-old Scot has dominated the airwaves, captured every headline in print and been the toast of the social media. While the entire world has been debating about his greatness, another man quietly announced the end of his association with one of the best sporting sides of the world. Gary Kirsten formally declared his innings with the South African cricket team.

Kirsten’s tenure with the South African side lasted for only two years. He took charge of the Proteas after he won the World Cup with the Indian team. However, in those two years, he did what he does best. He took them to the numero uno position in Test cricket. In the 19 Tests that he was in charge, South Africa won 12, drew 5 and lost only two matches, thus making him the most successful coach in the longest format the country has ever had.

South Africa has had bigger names coaching them before. The late Bob Woolmer not only changed the way the Proteas played, but also revolutionised the way cricket was perceived. Micky Arthur and Graham Ford made them into a top draw unit but all of them missed the final touch. Kirsten, in just two years, bridged that gap and South Africa are no more the bridesmaids at a wedding.

It’s true that Kirsten took over two very talented sides during his short career as a coach but so have many others. Duncan Fletcher has had the same squad as Kirsten did and so did Micky Arthur. While Micky Arthur struggled to take South Africa to the next level, Duncan Fletcher has had the toughest time wearing the Indian colours.

The difference between a good coach and a great one is very subtle, but that’s what makes a difference to a team. Every coach comes on board with ground-breaking ideas, innovative practice drills and organisational skills but a great coach packages all these into a capsule of humility, communication, compassion and leadership. Gary Kirsten did it once with India and then repeated his success with South Africa.

Kirsten started off his career at the highest level with the toughest team to manage – the Indian cricket team. In 2008, he walked into a dressing room that had a bundle of talent with controversies brimming at its rim. Not only the team lacked success, there was a lot of bad blood and insecurities among the players. The then Team India was an experiment that went horribly wrong and it emitted nothing but exothermic reactions.

Kirtsen took his time and got to know their players. He made an effort to listen, understand and treat the players with respect. His down to earth approach was starkly different from his know-it-all predecessor and the humble South African brought back the smiles on the players’ faces. He made them realise that cricket was just a game and results didn’t matter as far as they were following “the process”.

Gary Kirsten has a sense of calm about him and he always seems to be in control even when the team isn’t at its best. That’s where he has worked his magic with South Africa. The Proteas earned themselves the tag of “chokers” over the last two decades and no one could ever figure out how such a strong team always lost their bearing during the crunch situations. They became stiff and looked out of ideas and often floundered their opportunities of winning those big ones.

Last summer in England, Kirsten cured that disease. In the last Test against England, the Proteas were in with a chance to grab the number one position. They looked in cruise control until Matt Prior and Graeme Swann came in. The English pair went on the counter attack and suddenly, even the dangerous Philander looked ordinary. The match turned on its head and England looked the favourites. And just when it was going away from them, the Proteas pulled it back and claimed their stake as being the best in the Tests.

Every great coach knows that the team is only as strong as its weakest player. In his career as a coach, Gary Kirsten has always backed the youngsters. Be it Munaf Patel from India or Faf du Plessis of South Africa, the not-so-talented ones have flourished under Kirsten. Even the talented ones improved under his guidance.

When Kirsten took over the Indian side, the star players were surrounded with self doubts. If Sachin Tendulkar was scarred with criticism, Yuvraj Singh was on the verge of quitting the game. They say a coach must treat everyone equally but Gary Kirsten treated everyone fairly. He troubled the comfortable, and comforted the troubled. If his countless throw downs brought Tendulkar back into form, his “Don’t give up” dossier gave direction to a listless Yuvraj Singh.

However, the best quality of Gary Kirsten is that he knows that it’s about the team and not the man sitting in the dressing room. He looks much more excited about practice than the game itself because once the players cross the ropes, he can only observe things that he doesn’t want to see and listen to things he doesn’t want to hear. He always seems to have a plan and have the skills to execute it. He exactly knows how to achieve his set of goals and he works the hardest to get there. He is organised, passionate and always finds a way to encourage his team to believe and work together.

Reportedly, Kirsten sent a message to every player in the South African team, letting them know of his decision of stepping down. And guess what, every member replied with an emotional note. That’s what makes him so special, the fact that he “cares”. Forget the Proteas, even today the Indian cricketers have nothing but praise for him because he made them realise their potential and took them all to a level where they couldn’t have gone by themselves.

“I feel I can no longer cope with the lengthy periods of separation from my family that this job demands,” – Kirsten sighted family reasons for stepping down.

So, what’s next for him? He’s won the World Cup and has been to the pinnacle of Test cricket, twice. A man of his calibre needs a challenge and the challenge of defending the World Cup might just be the next one on his list.

As for the Indian cricket fans, they’ll keep their fingers crossed!