Search for coach ends in defensive Kirsten

When it was first whispered and later confirmed that Gary Kirsten, the South African opening batsman of a few years ago, would succeed the controversial Greg Chappell as coach of team India, I must confess I was surprised.

John Wright, the New Zealander, who preceded Chappell as coach, was a defensive batsman in his time though in his association with the Indian team he showed a streak of innovation by allowing Virender Sehwag to play in a manner he knew best. Fortunately, being a New Zealander with enough aggro within him to understand what can hurt the Australians, he encouraged his wards to go after the Australians and in the process India won a home rubber and then went Down Under to square one. But soon his luck ran out.

Kirsten, the first among the Proteas to play 100 Tests, was regarded as a very combative batsman and a fine close-in catcher. He was deputy to the late Hansie Cronje and after his retirement from the first class game was appointed as the high performance manager of the South African team.

That is not the same as coaching an international side at the highest level. But with there being few takers among overseas coaches for the Indian job the wait to find Chappell's replacement has taken much longer than expected. It has been reported that it was an email from a member of the committee to pick the coach appointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India that did the trick. No prizes for guessing who it was. Sunil Gavaskar of course.

One presumes Sunil is well aware of the sort of person he is looking for that would suit Indian cricket. The truth is there would have been none better than he, but he neither has the inclination nor the time to do what would be laborious job and not bring in the sort of lolly he is used to. Fair enough. But then what could have been the reasons that he zeroed in on Kirsten?

Blessed with an uncanny understanding of human nature, Sunil must have worked out that a high profile coach would do more harm than good to Indian cricket. Of course, he would cite Chappell's example, though he was one of those who enthusiastically picked him in the first place and then changed his stance about him. And if Sunil were to tell you that one always learns from one's mistakes, it would be taken at face value. This happens when someone has earned a sizeable reputation as a former player who understands administration as well as the game.

Sunil has all his life admired the old West Indian brand of cricket and his heroes have been West Indians. With the Australians his relations have been hot and cold. Maybe it still rankles that he never got the better of their best in his playing days and by and large he finds them abrasive and arrogant. Were he to tell you that he is concerned that certain Australian attributes might rub off on the young Indian cricketers it would be accepted at face value too.

So, where did the South African element come in? I could be accused of a bit of mind-reading in Sunil's case. But South African cricket has been the closest to Australian cricket competitive, tough and athletic. Of all the South African cricketers Sunil would have dealt with, Kirsten would fit the bill because he was as a player, competitive, tough and athletic.

But he was also, in contrast to some others who played alongside and against him, amiable with apparently a sound work ethic. Also, the indications are that he would work well with the Indian seniors, though it seems he wanted a guarantee that they would cooperate.

Seeing the BCCI's reaction it seems that it has got a big load off its chest with Kirsten giving the green signal. It is clear that it is not big money that is changing hands. After all, it is the first time that the pugnacious left-hander is taking up a major international assignment and would have to prove himself.

The fact that he is not available for the first half of the Indian tour to Australia, ostensibly for personal and family reasons, probably takes some of the gloss away from his appointment. Is he shying away from the biggest challenge in contemporary world cricket? Another South African, Ford refused the post, though he had never played international cricket. This had embarrassed the BCCI.

Maybe this is why it had to be a South African and that too one whose international record is immensely creditable. He is just 40 and can learn on the job. He might have been defensive as a batsman but that does not imply that he would advocate defensiveness. For one thing he would ask each Indian batsman to set a price on his wicket, which can only be good. Who knows Sunil might have got it right, but to know, one would have to wait and see.