Dubai: Gary Kirsten, the Delhi Daredevils coach and the man who guided India to the 2011 ICC World Cup, can’t praise Sachin Tendulkar’s respect for the game enough.
“Three things about Tendulkar impressed me the most. First is his attention to detail in training and preparation and secondly is his real love for what he does. Third is his respect for the game and understanding of what needs to be done to get the best chance of success,” the South African told Gulf News in an exclusive interview during the UAE leg of Indian Premier League (IPL) here.
A reticent personality, Kirsten rarely addressed the Delhi team’s press conferences during the first leg here. His throwdowns to Tendulkar every day at the nets, around 500 of them, had been acknowledged by the retired legend as a reason behind his success. Asked about the chemistry between him and the retired great, Kirsten said: “It was more around the physical benefit and also more around the mental benefits and relationship that was created between two people. He really loved to work hard on his game. The technical and physical aspects of the game have to be that good. If you are not at that level of skill, no one is going to make it. It was all about dealing with the finer details with him.”
Though hesitant to talk about his achievements, Kirsten said: “I have enjoyed my coaching career and I have been a coach for nine years. I have played for 17 years, so enjoyed both experiences. As a coach, it is lovely to be working with young players and trying to get the best out of them.
To a query as to what qualities he would like to see in a cricketer, Kirsten said: “It depends on what level you are looking at because when you are working with the younger players, you are looking at his talent and ball-striking ability. I also look whether he has got flair on the ball. I think when you get to older ages, you are really looking at to see if a guy can make a performance and whether he can string consistent performances together over a period of time.”
After retiring from cricket, Kirsten had even set up an academy at Cape Town in 2006 before signing up to coach India in 2007, a post he left in 2011.
Kirsten says the IPL in the UAE has been a memorable experience and added that the country also has a special place in his playing career. “I have enjoyed coming here. It is a great cricketing country. IPL, for me, is a fantastic product and it is really doing well. I am excited that many years ago, I scored the biggest score in a World Cup against them too,” he said with a laugh.
