Gary Kirsten, who stepped down as India cricket coach after guiding the team to its first World Cup title in 28 years, now wants take up the top job in South Africa even though he has not submitted a formal application before the dateline.
A report in ‘ The Sunday Times’ said Kirsten is interested in the Proteas coaching vacancy, but he is also weighing up several other offers.
“He’s expressed interest, yes,” said Andrew Hudson, the national selection convener and a man who sits on the panel to select a successor to Corrie van Zyl, who has stepped down after the Proteas’ World Cup debacle.
“He’s certainly been in discussions with Gerald Majola (Cricket SA’s CEO),” Hudson was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Kirsten is known to be keen on working with the current crop of international players, believing them to be among the most talented on the circuit, the report said.
“He is taking time off before considering his options. He is known to be calm and prudent - as befits a former opening batsman - and not overly eager to rush into a decision,” it said.
Cricket South Africa, meanwhile, have approached Professor Johann Coetzee to psychometrically test all the applicants for the coaching job.
Coetzee was approached by Boeta Dippenaar, who sits on the interview panel as the players’ representative, and as a result of the approach finds himself being part of the assessment.
“I’m not involved with selection of the candidate. I’m just a neutral, objective adjunct to the panel,” said Coetzee, a human development consultant and psychologist who has worked as an academic at the universities of the Free State and North West.
The professor has identified 18 key characteristics pertinent to the post and will conduct his interviews and tests with a view to identifying whether the candidates possess these characteristics.
Coetzee will spend two hours with each candidate on the shortlist.
The list of shortlisted candidates has not been formally released by CSA, but reportedly includes Richard Pybus, the Cobras coach who won the SuperSport Series title last weekend, Vinnie Barnes, the current Proteas bowling coach, Duncan Fletcher, former coach of England and John Buchanan, former coach of Australia.
