He is aware that MS Dhoni and his boys are capable of touching great heights and here he is goading them on. On the eve of the tri series in Sri Lanka - the Indian team’s first international outing of the season - Kirsten has struck the right chords by saying that the side is capable of reaching the top spot.
At the moment they are second to South Africa and a clean sweep in the Compaq Cup will make them numero uno for the first time since the ICC rankings were established in 2002.
Just listen to what Kirsten has to say and the intense feeling he has for the boys, the total confidence he has in them to deliver comes through. "We have got a lot of depth in our cricket at the moment," the 41-year-old former South African opening batsman said, adding that the team could draw inspiration from its past record in Sri Lanka. "We come here with confidence. We certainly do not look at the results of the past but think ahead", he said.
Pressures of high expectations will always be there particularly since the ODI team has been performing commendably in the last year and a half. Dhoni's squad has been on a roll since pulling off a surprise triumph in the CB Series in Australia in February last year.
Since then, they have their first series in Sri Lanka and as if to prove this was not a fluke repeated the feat earlier this year. They also won a maiden series in New Zealand and then followed it up with a victory in the West Indies. In between they thrashed England 5-0 at home.
Kirsten is of the view that the Indian team can cope with the pressures of high expectations. "When you become one of the best teams in the world there is pressure involved and there is expectancy around that. If you are going to be the best and hope to remain there for a long time, you need to handle the pressure of high expectations and I think we are comfortable being in that position," he said.
Asked about the team's targets for the season ahead, Kirsten reiterated that becoming No 1 was one of the top aims. "We have set our targets as to what we have to achieve in the next eight months. Certainly, one of them is to become the best team in the game today. We are heading that way and we are very excited on the way that we have gone about our business to get to that position," he said.
When the coach has so much faith in the potential of the lads to keep performing, is it any wonder that the squad is going through a purple patch? The defeat in the World Twenty20 can be taken as an aberration and one has only to look at the record in ODIs and Tests to be aware that the Indian team is headed in the right direction. Happy and confident are the two words that would sum up the mood of the Indian camp these days and a lot of credit goes to Kirsten.
He certainly has got a lot of credit already from his players. Sachin Tendulkar for one has made it clear that Kirsten has been a success as he has allowed the team to be themselves. "He has allowed the natural instincts of the players to flourish," said Tendulkar. Cricket is also played in the mind and Kirsten has had a major role in this very important aspect of the game.
It is not just Tendulkar who has spoken highly of Kirsten's understated approach that has helped the Indians to one success after another. Virender Sehwag also had praised Kirsten hailing him "the best I have ever seen." Sehwag put it simply when he said that Kirsten "doesn’t force things on you."
It is well known that Chappell had tried to get Sehwag to change his batting style and this led to serious differences between the two. It may be difficult to believe but Chappell apparently wanted the most gifted and uncomplicated batting stylist, the most natural striker in the contemporary game to visit psychologists in a bid to curb his instincts. There is spontaneous camaraderie among the Indian players that has not been seen before. And in this amiable atmosphere great things can be achieved.
Harbhajan made a very interesting observation not too long ago when he said the main reason why India have been able to build on the winning momentum in recent times is that the players are no more insecure about their place in the side. He was of the view that the team management's belief in the players has helped them counter all sorts of conditions.
"Why we are winning is because we are playing good cricket," Harbhajan said. "Everyone is performing, everyone is willing to be a champion. A lot of credit must go to the support staff and team management for giving the surety to all the players that they would be getting at least 10-15 games. That gives a player a lot of confidence. This team can beat any side."
Kirsten spelt out his policy clearly in an interview sometime back. "These are international cricketers and they know how to succeed. But whenever they need me for anything I am always there."
What a refreshing change from the autocratic Chappell.
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