On hindsight
Judhajit
25-Feb-2013
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Gary Kirsten, who will complete a year as India's coach in March, believes at the end of the day it is the team which comes foremost and not the coach, and that his job is to work behind the scenes, assisting the players in getting as good as they can become. In an interview to Lokendra Pratap Sahi in the Kolkata-based daily, the Telegraph, he says though it’s a challenge, he is comfortable knowing he’ll be judged by results.
Is it an advantage or a disadvantage that you played international cricket till as recently as 2003-04, when the Irfan Pathans made their debut?
It’s a good question... Difficult to say... I’ve tried to stay on the leading edge of coaching... I’ve been into coaching for only a few years... If I may add, somebody like (hand-picked mental conditioning expert) Paddy Upton is so important... It’s important to have him on board instead of getting a consultant to work for a few days every now and then.
Had Yuvraj Singh realised that it would take him eight years for to establish himself in Test cricket, he would have given up the idea. Back after a long struggle, he believes the task to establish himself in the Test team was due to the lack of opportunity as well as his own mistakes. Pradeep Magazine from the Hindustan Times caught up with the left-hand batsman.
Your expectations now?
I can't explain that, but I want to excel, want to be one of the best players to have played this game. It's not going to happen overnight, half my career is over but the other half is left.