By IANS,
New Delhi : Giving a peek into India’s preparation for the World Cup, coach Gary Kirsten said the support staff treated each player differently and looked for ways to maximise their potential.
Kirsten, who flew back to South Africa Saturday after a three-year stint with the team, said he has nothing but gratitude for the players and the people of India.
“I have got nothing but gratitude for this country and for this team, after my time with them,” said Kirsten in the ICC Cricket World Radio Show.
“I never pictured winning the World Cup. We said over two years ago we wanted to win the World Cup, and until the event happened and only then did I think from day to day about how we could go about reaching that goal rather than long-term planning for the success.”
The Indian team achieved new heights under Kirsten. Before the Cup triumph, India reached the pinnacle of Test rankings for the first time and is still holding onto that position.
Kirsten revealed, how he alongside his support staff, worked with the players and tried to get the best out of them.
“Every individual I worked with, alongside Paddy Upton and later Eric Simons, we needed to get to know in a meaningful and authentic way and what was required to get the best out of him as a player.”
“We treated each individual differently and then set up a team structure and worked on what we wanted to achieve as a team. We set our goals as a team – it became noticeable how much of a team we really were as time progressed,” said the former South African batsman.