Bangladesh can compete at the highest level, says Gary Kirsten

Assessing every team is a big challenge, says Gary.

Gary Kirsten with Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury | New Age

South African great Gary Kirsten, who was appointed consultant of the Bangladesh Cricket Team recently, has confirmed on Tuesday (22 May) that he will assist the management in quickly finding apt coach for the Tigers before their West Indies tour in July. He will also help Bangladesh in making a strategy for the upcoming 2019 World Cup in England.

Bangladesh have been without a coach and continually hunting for a suitable personality for the top role since Sri Lanka’s Chandika Hathurusingha stepped down in October after a successful three-year stint with the Tigers to join the national side as head coach.

Meanwhile, Kirsten has already arrived in Bangladesh on Sunday and met players, BCB officials, selectors and local coaches, saying Chandika has done a great job for Bangladesh.

Under Chandika, Bangladesh reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2015 and 2017 Champions Trophy semi-finals in England, as well as, won one-day series against Pakistan, India and South Africa. They also defeated Sri Lanka, England, and Australia in Tests.

As per reports in AFP, Kirsten said, “I know Chandika did a great job with the team. I just want to understand what that was about and what made the team do well at that time. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, I will have someone in place to take the team forward.”

He further added, “[Assessing] every team is a big challenge but I think this team has great potential and it has had success against big team recently. It’s a good group of senior players with some talented young players coming through. So, I think trying to create some stability within the group and making sure the coaching structures are in place [is the intention].”

However, Kirsten refused to take up the full-time Consultant role, but he could remain linked to Bangladesh "through to the World Cup" in England next year and believes that the Tigers have all the potential to compete at the highest level of the game.

He signed off by saying, “I have no doubt that the team can compete at the highest level. And I think there is every intention to set some lofty goals in terms of what they want to do over the next 18 months or so. There is a belief that they can compete at the highest levels and as I said, they have a real goal to do really well.”

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 23 May, 2018

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