M A I N   N E W S

Kirsten leaves with fond memories

Mumbai, April 5
Proud of the Indian cricket team’s achievement in the last three years of his association, outgoing coach Gary Kirsten today said he was leaving the job with a heavy heart and with a lot of cherished memories. “It’s one of the most cherished experiences of my life. We wanted to be the no. 1 ranked Test team in the world and win the World Cup and we have achieved both these goals. It has been a massive privilege to be part of Team India,” Kirsten said at his farewell press conference here.

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Kirsten had a successful three-year stint with the Indian team during which Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men not only reached the pinnacle of Test rankings but also lifted the World Cup title after 28 years, last week.

Kirsten, who seldom interacted with the media right through his tenure, spoke for more than half-an-hour on various topics relating to his job and outside today.

He praised the leadership qualities of triumphant Indian skipper Dhoni and termed the Ranchi-born wicket-keeper batsman as the best current captain in world cricket.

“For me MS (Dhoni) is one of the greatest leaders of this country. It has been an honour to work with him over the last three years. I thank him for his support and friendship. He’s easily the best captain in world cricket today,” Kirsten said. The former South African opener also endorsed the widely held view that Dhoni was the quintessential “Captain Cool”.

“He’s (Dhoni) the leader by example. He always gives 100 per cent and expects his troops to be ready for battle. He is calm and level headed. I have never seen him lose his temper, he takes on responsibility. (There’s) no reason for him to move on...he can be captain for many years,” Kirsten said.

The outgoing coach did not forget to mention the enormous contribution of all the team members during his three-year tenure. Terming Tendulkar as the “greatest sports model” he had ever met, Kirsten said the master batsman’s humility and dedication was a thing to watch out for. — PTI