The biggest challenge for a cricketer today is to find a successful balance between his livelihood playing IPL or similar T20 league and wearing the national team colors while representing his country in Test cricket, Gary Kirsten, Mentor, Coach and Brain Trust says, who changed our lives. Men in blue, taking them to the pinnacle of sporting success at the 2011 World Cup after a 28-year hiatus.
“The fact that the IPL is now the second and biggest sports league in the world, and it’s only around 13 years old, is a huge testament to the success of the product,” Kirsten said ahead of the T20 World Cup. Exclusive interview from Melbourne to ET’s brand new podcast Business of Sports, where he is coaching the Dutch team. “But for me that was the holy grail as a player, playing Test cricket for my country is. I am happy to say that most of the players I talk to during T20 cricket are their livelihood, their passion or what they really want to do in the game is to represent their country in Test matches.
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Kirsten didn’t want to get into the prediction game. “I think it will be really difficult to pick a winner this year because there are so many good teams out there. If someone had to pressure me to make a prediction, I think probably the best team at the moment. England, but they We’re in the last World Cup and they didn’t win it. So, World Cups are very different events and often teams you don’t expect to win can win.”
But with the proliferation of franchise cricket, the preference between club and country in cricket, like football, is becoming blurred. When West Indies toured Australia in 2015–2016, and lost in the Test series, seven of their key players – including Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell – were absent from the national team. He was still in Australia, but playing in the Big Bash. Last summer, five key South African players – including their first-choice fast bowling attack – left in the middle of their ODI series against Pakistan to join the IPL.
“I think it will be quite a challenge to figure out how this model is going to work successfully and at the moment. I think domestic sport, which is essentially your T20 league, is a disruptor because it has always been a part of international cricket. It’s been about getting the road and representing your country as a player. But now you see a lot of players whose aspirations are changing because they know they can make a good living without paying for their country. Can survive,” Kirsten said.
Citing the example of South Africa’s 35-year-old Test and ODI captain Dean Elgar, Kirsten said his focus is on the longer version of the game. “This year he played four Test matches, five Test matches. This is his full international year of cricket. And that’s a concern for me.” Calling it “robbing Peter to pay Paul”, Kirsten further argued, “I don’t know of any way to keep Test cricket alive and well. Whether bankroll is required or not. Small nations – South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Ireland or Bangladesh, Test cricket is really a burden on their finances.
Changes are self-permanent. Unless Australia, England or India are involved, almost all bilateral international games lose money. And so for all the major disruptions caused by Covid-19, the cancellation of matches was indeed a relief for many boards. That some boards are financially better off playing fewer matches underscores how unstable the entire structure of international cricket finance has become.
Currently, a major chunk of the BCCI’s revenue, over 71 per cent, comes from the IPL alone. “I think world cricket needs to come together, led by big players and countries like India and rally together and say, is Test cricket important to us? And if so, then we How can you keep the game alive? I think you are the heavy hitter in the game.”
The gruesome schedule is also taking a toll on the players’ bodies and minds as coach Kirsten is worried. India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to injury. “As a player, you become a hire moving from project to project. These (T20 leagues) just become project work for you, not a team you feel connected to. You have David There’s a player like Miller who’s played for maybe 30 franchises. Where’s the home for him? Kirsten asks. “His priority obviously is to wear his country’s badge but where’s his real objective?”
Stating that it hardly comes as a surprise to him that Rahul Dravid is the current Indian team coach, Kirsten who has followed him closely as a player also said, “
He was very detailed, organized and a great sports thinker. He has been a huge contributor and you can’t have a better coach for India. He is very organized, detail oriented, understands the players and their developmental needs.”
For Kirsten, who loves a good steak and a glass of wine, the modern coach is now a lot more advanced than the coaches of the past. “You are the CEO of an organization, and there is a lot at stake in terms of your credibility as a coach in order for the team to perform well. Sometimes you have to go through a meeting by navigating all the egos in the room by saying the least. You have to learn to organize yet get your message across and work. You really need to master that craft.”
