Two years after missing out on the top job, Gary Kirsten has once again shown interest in taking over as the head coach of the England cricket team. Though this time he only wants to spearhead their Test team following the Ashes debacle. England, who last won the Ashes in 2015, have once again missed out on an opportunity to regain the urn.
The visiting team has already lost the series 3-0 with two matches yet to be played. Amid this, Kirsten has shown eagerness to coach England, while adding that he would never commit to coaching the team in all formats.
“Listen, it [the England job] is always a consideration because it’s a tremendous honour. I’ve walked this journey twice now and I’ve always made it clear that I would never commit to doing all formats. And when international cricket boards get their head around the fact that they need to split coaching roles, then it becomes a consideration,” Kirsten told the i newspaper.
“Working with a Test side, or working with an ODI side is great. Listen, the England ODI side is set-up, you’re the best ODI side in the world at the moment. It’s a project that has been well-thought-out. You’ve got consistency in the players that have been picked.
“Your Test side has battled for a while but it would be a really lovely project to get that going. I think it’s a great project for someone to come in and take that Test side on. There’s a lot that needs to be put in place to build this Test team out.”
In 2019, he was considered one of the frontrunners to replace Trevor Bayliss but was pipped by Chris Silverwood. Silverwood was one of the coaches in Bayliss’ staff and got an opportunity to lead the coaching team when the former moved back to Australia.
A former WC-winning coach with Team India, Kirsten will be one of the strongest contenders to take over the job whenever Silverwood’s stint ends. But his eagerness to coach the team in only one format can go against him.
Kirsten has been away from international cricket for a long time now. He has been associated with different teams across various leagues across the globe and is reportedly on his way to land an IPL gig once again.
