19 April,2009 07:59 AM IST | | Sanjjeev K Samyal
RIGHT: Coach Gary Kirsten is sure IPL will be well supported in South Africa.
During a hectic international calendar, India coach Gary Kirsten's plans of a complete break from cricket during the Indian Premier League will have to be postponed. As luck would have it, the high-profile Twenty20 championship landed right at his doorstep. The glamourous tournament gotu00a0 off to a spectacular start at the Newlands ground in Kirsten's hometown here.
The inaugural IPL helped launch or re-launch many an international careers and it is a bonus for the Indian youngsters that they now have the opportunity to impress their national coach playing in his backyard.
While Kirsten's holiday may be affected a bit, he is excited that the IPL being staged in his home country will give him an opportunity to have a look at young Indian talent. "It is a great opportunity for young Indian players to show what they are made of in a high profile environment with lots of successful international players. It gives them a taste of having to perform in pressure situations. I'm fortunate to be able to watch closely any young Indian players that stand out during the tournament," Kirsten told SUNDAY MiD DAY.
Ultimate Test
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The tremendous success of the inaugural IPL in India and given the tremendous reception the games got in Cape Town on the opening day yesterday, the Twenty20 format has really caught on. Kirsten was not getting carried away by the hype and advised the aspiring young cricketers to understand that Test cricket as still the ultimate battle.
"I think it (T20) is an exciting format and is always great to watch. Because the game is so short it equalises the teams a little as one good over from any batsman or bowler could be the difference in the match. Test cricket is the soul of the game and it needs to be preserved and protected. We need to continually find ways to make it interesting for the spectators. The young player also needs to feel that it is worth aspiring to play Test cricket rather than opting for the more lucrative shortened versions of the game," said Kirsten.
Hosting players
For the coach and his family, it looks like it will be a hectic opening week as all the Indian players will be around including Sachin Tendulkar, his skipper MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag.
Kirsten said he would be inviting the players to his home whenever they are free. "It is a really busy time for them with not much gap between games. If there is an opportunity I will most certainly be inviting them home."
Overall, he believed that the IPL will be well received in his country. "It is great for South Africa to be hosting such a prestigious and high profile tournament. It also shows the strong relationship that exists between the two countries. There is already a lot of hype around the tournament and I'm sure it will be well supported," said Kirsten. Talking about his plans during the tournament, the former South African opener said: "I will watch as much as I can, try and catch up with the Indian players and enjoy spending time with my family."
