Kirsten was the head coach of the Indian cricket team that lifted the 2011 World Cup
Gary Kirsten (Pic: AFP)
Gary Kirsten opened up about his decision to take up the role of Pakistan's white-ball head coach and the factors that 'appealed' to him to join the Men in Green camp and is looking to help his side taste the T20 World Cup glory once again.
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Kirsten was the head coach of the Indian cricket team that lifted the 2011 World Cup. He was appointed as the head coach on Sunday and will join the Men in Green camp after finishing his current assignment with Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and help Pakistan gear up for the upcoming marquee event in June.
Kirsten opened up about his decision to join the Pakistan team and stated that working with some of the best cricketers in the world appealed to him.
"I think Pakistan sits as one of the top four to five coaching jobs in the world internationally. The proposition to work with some of the best cricketers in the world was appealing to me. What is important is that I have the opportunity to work with some of the best cricketers in the world, and that excites me," Kirsten said on the Pakistan Cricket Board Podcast.
"My view on Pakistan cricket hasn't shifted for a long time. There is always an expectation that it should be a high-performing team all the time. We know in team sports, that's not always the case. It's always wonderful from a coaching perspective when you can help them (players) unlock the real potential. That's what I'm looking forward to. I'm really looking forward to working with those individual players and the team and assisting them that way," he added.
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Kirsten will join the team as Pakistan continue to fine-tune their squad for the upcoming World Cup. He talked about his role in helping Pakistan achieve glory in the upcoming events or the ones that will be held in the next two years.
"If you can win one of those three ICC Events, that will be an amazing achievement on its own, whether it's the upcoming event or it's two years from now," Kirsten said.
"My job is to make sure that the team operates at its best, it's as simple as that. And if the team is operating at its best, we will always have a good chance of winning a trophy," he added
Kirsten went on to talk about his coaching philosophy and expressed the need for maintaining continuity and consistency within the team as they attempt to push for success.
"I am certainly a big fan of continuity and consistency. Those are two words that are really important to me. So, there might be some frustrations around players in and out of form, and that happens in the game. I would certainly push hard to make sure that the environment remains consistent. If I'm going to pick a player because I backed him, that player is staying and not going anywhere until and unless it gets to a point where we would have to make a shift. As a coach, I'm a big believer in continuity and consistency," Kirsten said.
"My recipe is to stay under the radar in many ways and allow the players to enjoy the success and, when things aren't going well, it's to let know that we are all together in this to go where we want to go," he added.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup, Pakistan will play a three-match T20I series against Ireland which will kick off on May 10 in Dublin.
After the conclusion of the series, the Pakistan team will tour England for a four-match T20I series which will begin on May 22 in Headingley Carnegie.
(With agency inputs)
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