Kirsten seeks assurances before becoming India coach

CAPE TOWN : Former South Africa opening batsman Gary Kirsten has delayed taking over as India coach, saying he wants assurances from the players over the job.

“I have heard rumours about some senior players expressing their concern about my possible appointment and I would prefer to have clarity on that before I commit myself,” Kirsten said.

Kirsten had been expected to sign his contract on Monday.

“I’m not sure whether the players have concerns or not,” said the South African. “I only met (captain) Anil Kumble on my recent trip to Delhi and he was very supportive.

“If there are concerns then I would like to find out whether they are about me as an individual or the process by which I was interviewed and then offered the job.”

Indian newspapers had quoted anonymous senior players as saying the existing management structure was working well and Kirsten’s appointment was unnecessary.

“There is absolutely no need for a coach at this moment,” an unnamed player was quoted as saying in the Mumbai Mirror. Kirsten said he was keen to speak to more players to make sure he understood their feelings.

“I’m not going to rush because it’s a very important position in world cricket and the decision needs to be made carefully and in conjunction with all the right people but mostly the players,” he said.

“You can’t coach any team if you don’t have the players ‘buy in’. I’ve written to the board to explain my feelings.”

Australian Greg Chappell quit as India coach in April following the team’s shock first-round elimination from the World Cup.

THE INDIAN CRICKET LEAGUE INVADES THE AMERICAS

Cricket Fans Want More Awaiting The Launch of the Indian Cricket League Across The American Continent

Ft. Lauderdale / FL, USA — December 3, 2007 – Over 15 million cricket fans residing in North America and the Caribbean are demanding more!  With cricket being the second most popular spectator sport world wide and more and more fans working and living throughout the world, International demand for cricket has never been higher.  Fans want more cricket, more of the time, or rather more accurately all of the time!  In order to meet the demand for cricket a number of cricket organizations throughout the world have expanded the traditional game of cricket from World Cups and Championships into a more easily consumable form of sports entertainment. 

In recent years, the Twenty20 format has taken the world of cricket by storm with the first ever Twenty20 World Cup won by the Indian team this year.  In an effort to fulfill the demands of fanatic cricket fans, the Indian Cricket League will be launching the first ever Twenty20 competitive Cricket League in the North American and Caribbean regions organized along the structure of other professional franchise sports.  According to the Indian Cricket League President Sharad Chikara, the demand for cricket is growing rapidly in North America due to both the large influx of students and workers from many of the cricket playing nations like India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh.  As well the International attention of cricket, especially the Twenty20 format, has also contributed to the rapidly growing demand in North America.

“Cricket fans worldwide now demand the Twenty20 format because it is more exciting, thrilling, and faster paced resulting in a more enjoyable entertainment experience. Our cricket fans on the IndianCricketLeague website forums have attested to the popular demand of the Twenty20 format without a doubt.”, Sharad Chikara said.  As an example, a fanatic cricket fan recently posted, “Twenty20 is the best thing that happened to cricket.  Twenty20 at least defies the logic that cricket can be less interesting due to length of the games. The other good thing about this game is that matches start after working hours and that is the reason we have a new audience in the game. I think this Twenty20 should be played more and more. These matches should be played on home and away basis just like Premier league football. Right now there is not enough Twenty20.”

According to initial information released on the website, bringing the Twenty20 format in a professional franchise sports league format to a broader and new audience is precisely what the Indian Cricket League intends to do.  “Our mission is to promote and foster the best talent, create a highly competitive environment and provide equal opportunity to talented players.  Indian Cricket League will provide superior entertainment, value, and service in competition with other professional spectator sports leagues.  We will provide a centralized governing body alongside the investor and franchise opportunity of professional league sports.  We believe this will allow us to deliver the ultimate cricket sporting experience for fans, players, coaches, and owners alike!”

The Indian Cricket League was founded in 2005 to provide cricket fans, players, coaches, and owners with a professional league sports platform.  Cricket had always lacked the structure that professional sports leagues in the US and Canada have.  The league will attract both local and international talent from other cricket playing nations just like Major League Baseball in the US.  We want to build quality international cricket players, provide for equal opportunity to the young and the talented, and ensure that the best infrastructure and training is provided to the players.  Indian Cricket League will share its pool of talented cricketers with other private cricket leagues and cricketing boards of the world.