Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar got me India coaching job within 7 minutes: Gary Kirsten

Former South African captain Gary Kirsten was appointed as India’s coach in 2007, i.e. a few months after the controversial departure of Greg Chappell. The 101-Test veteran recently stated that he was not initially interested in the role and only landed the job because of former Indian cricketers Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar. While speaking on the Cricket Collective Podcast, Gary Kirsten recalled the series of events which unfolded during his interview with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials back in 2007.

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Gary Kirsten credits Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar for India’s coaching job

Gary Kirsten said that he received an email from former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was part of the coach selection panel, in 2007 in which Gavaskar had asked him whether he would consider coaching the Indian team. Upon receiving another invitation from the Indian batting icon, Kirsten stated that he showed the email to his wife who responded: “They must have the wrong person”. The veteran South African cricketer said that he finally considered the offer and arrived in India for the interview with BCCI officials.

Gary Kirsten admitted that he went unprepared for the interview and considered the environment of the meeting as an “intimidating” one. He said upon being asked to present his vision for the future of Indian cricket, his response at the time was “Well, I don’t have one”. The panel also included cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri. According to Kirsten, it was Ravi Shastri, who acted as an ice-breaker between him and BCCI officials.

The experienced cricketer recalled Ravi Shastri’s question, where the current Indian coach had asked him to tell what did the South Africans do to beat the Indian team over the years. Gary Kirsten went ahead and answered for about two-three minutes without disclosing much strategies. He said that Ravi Shastri, along with the rest of the committee were suitably impressed and his seven-minute interview ended in him landing up a high-profile Team India coaching contract.

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Gary Kirsten’s appointment and his four-year stint turned out to be one of the most successful phases for Indian cricket. During his tenure, MS Dhoni was appointed as Test captain, taking over the role after Anil Kumble announced his retirement in 2008. The captain-coach partnership between MS Dhoni and Gary Kirsten achieved much success together, be it leading India to the helm of ICC Test team rankings or lifting the 2011 World Cup at home.

Ravi Shastri as India coach

Interestingly, Ravi Shastri himself took up India’s coaching job in 2017. After the conclusion of the 2019 World Cup, the BCCI re-appointed him as the head coach by extending his contract until the 2021 T20 World Cup in India.

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Image credits: ICC Twitter