Less than 24 hours after facing the world’s media to confirm his move from coaching India to doing it for South Africa, Gary Kirsten was on a plane — in the comfortable seats at the very front — on his way back to India.
He considered whether people might think it inappropriate, but quickly concluded that it would be far less appropriate to renege on a long-standing business commitment in Mumbai than to attend the Cricket South Africa awards dinner merely to put a smile on peoples’ faces and shake a lot of hands. After all, there would be plenty of time for that.
Besides, Kirsten is a man of principle and he had agreed to be the guest of honour at a corporate gathering a long time before he had even contemplated the position of Proteas coach, never mind being offered it.
But he would not judge others if they had reached a different conclusion. The world is full of people with a different perspective on right and wrong beyond the basic, but vital, tenets of respect, tolerance and decency. He will not tolerate an absence of those qualities in his players, but will welcome and embrace differences in personality and perspective — because they are the ingredients of success.
Dale Williams, one of his two partners in the coaching business PerformanceZone, said Kirsten’s willingness and ability to apply a few business principles — rather than conventional sporting ones — partly explains the enormous success he enjoyed with the Indian team.
“He is very people-orientated. In successful businesses, people don’t just walk through the door and check their personalities in at reception.
“The businesses that understand this really thrive, while those that expect performance without encouraging their staff to be real people form a sterile environment in which creativity is stifled,” said Williams, one of South Africa’s leading business and executive coaches.
“Similarly, Gary believes that whereas sports coaching has moved on a long way from the days when individuality was frowned upon, he believes that embracing it can work to the benefit of the team and bring out the best in each of the players.
“Gary would be the first to admit that it’s not a new concept. For years you’ve heard sportsmen say ‘just relax and be yourself’, but what does it actually mean? And how do you actually do that?”
‘Real life’
Paddy Upton played a huge role in enabling Kirsten to do exactly that in India. With his background as a biokineticist with the Proteas under Bob Woolmer in the mid 1990s underpinning his move into management coaching, there was not much about the social dynamics of a sports team that he did not recognise.
“Gary and I had done a lot of workshops and strategy sessions around coaching in cricket,” said Upton.
“It was an incredible opportunity to be given the chance to put them into practice in a real-life situation. And it doesn’t get any more ‘real life’ than with the Indian national team. It was a privilege neither of us will ever forget, obviously.
“I’m very excited about collaborating again with South Africa, but it will be different. I wasn’t available on a full-time basis, but I don’t think that would have been the best thing for Gary or the team, anyway.
“But on specific tours, at specific times or with specific players, I will be honoured to help Gary and the Proteas in the best way I can,” said Upton.
Sometimes too much can be made of the role of psychology in cricket. That is ironic, because, for most of the last two centuries, absolutely nothing was made of it. Much of what Kirsten did with India he regarded as nothing more than common sense.
Dominating the back page
Limiting Sachin Tendulkar’s workload was not always popular with administrators and marketers, yet it not only prolonged his career but ensured he was in the best form of his life at the age of 37 — in a World Cup year. Common sense, yes, but brilliantly executed nonetheless.
Could he do a similar job with Jacques Kallis? Or will the old-fashioned and outdated South African notion that a player must be available for every tour still apply?
If it does, Kirsten may not last long himself. Although he has not stipulated which tours — or parts of them — he plans to spend at home, he insists that the principle of a head coach not needing to be with the team at all times is the right one.
“It keeps everyone fresh, players, coaching staff and management, to have a change of face from time to time,” Kirsten said after his appointment.
Ultimately, it must be remembered that Kirsten is unflinchingly honest, highly respected and prepared to work as hard as any of his players.
In the Indian team he had some of the most skilled players in the world. He remains honest and hard working and, in South Africa, has just as many skilled players. So why should things be different?
“The whole of Cricket South Africa, from the boardroom to the receptionists, will have to work together as one team,” said Williams, who did not wish to elaborate too much. “Cricket should dominate the back page, not the front.”