Kirsten rules himself out of England running

Image
AFP London
Last Updated : Feb 07 2014 | 6:22 PM IST
South African Gary Kirsten has said he does not want to be considered for the job of England team director because of personal reasons.
The 46-year-old had been tipped by many as a potential replacement for Andy Flower, who resigned last week to allow the team to rebuild after their disastrous tour of Australia, where they lost the Test series 5-0.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are said to be looking for someone who can lead the team in all three formats of the game, but former batsman Kirsten said his personal situation meant he could not be the man for the job.
"It would have been a great challenge, it's a high-profile sport. Whenever I've toured England I've always been amazed by the following," he told Sky Sports.
"It's a pressurised sport and I think Andy Flower over many years did an exceptional job. I had many chats with Andy and I enjoyed his way. I have often wondered whether I could go in with my coaching philosophies and thinking that it could work within that environment.
"I would have enjoyed the challenge, like I would any challenge that I take on. I'm taking on the IPL (Indian Premier League) team the Delhi Daredevils - thank goodness it's a shorter period of time - but I'm looking forward to that challenge and the one thing I'm really looking forward to is working with some Englishmen, some Australians, some West Indians maybe, some South Africans and Indians."
Limited-overs coach Ashley Giles is another leading contender for the job, although he fared little better in Australia as the team slipped to 4-1 and 3-0 defeats in the one-day and Twenty20 series which followed the Ashes.
Whoever takes charge will be without the services of star batsman Kevin Pietersen, whose England career came to an abrupt end this week after officials announced they'd "unanimously" wanted to rebuild the side without him.
The 33-year-old was left out of the squads for both the upcoming one-day international tour of the West Indies and the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 07 2014 | 6:22 PM IST

Next Story