Last Updated on 56 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey
We caught up with former South Africa batsman and current Sri Lanka coach Gary Kirsten. He spoke of his beloved Catch Trust, which addresses the inequality in access to sporting opportunities for kids in South Africa.
Kirsten also touched on Sri Lanka’s recent white-ball tour of England, plus South Africa’s chances in the upcoming Test series against Australia even if Kagiso Rabada doesn’t take part. The 58-year-old finished off by touching on the importance of nations such as Sri Lanka and New Zealand playing more Test cricket.
Gary Kirsten interview:
Listen to the full audio or read the transcript below.
On the Catch Trust…
Gary Kirsten: I think the game has given me a lot. You know, I’ve been a professional in the game since I was 19. I’m now 58. So that’s nearly 40 years. So it’s given me a lot.
It’s [cricket] a national sport in South Africa, and there’s a lot of people that don’t have access to the game because of their circumstances where they live, social circumstances they involved in, the fact that cricket probably hasn’t really been introduced in that space.
But when you create the opportunity, it’s amazing what talent actually does exist. So I think that was the motivation behind setting it up.
Catch Trust or achievements as a player and coach: Which is more fulfilling?
Gary Kirsten: Oh, it’s a difficult one. I was a player for 17 years, been a coach for well into 22, 23 years. This project that we’ve been running for now the last 12 years, they all have a place in my life one way or another, so I wouldn’t say one was more special than the others.
I think for me, this project with the Trust certainly has a lot of meaning behind it, and purpose behind it. And you can certainly see the benefits of what we’ve tried to create. So that’s pretty exciting.
But, I’m not on this mission to create these kind of things and make them work so that I can get the accolades behind it. I’m really not. It’s more it just pricked my conscience, you know, just to think I’ve been given so much as a cricketer. Because I had wonderful opportunities, so try and create some opportunities for others.
On Sri Lanka’s recent white-ball tour of England…
Gary Kirsten: I think it was a tough tour for us, but I think we needed to be realistic around what we could achieve here. I think we had a real chance in the ODIs; played well in the first game up in Durham to keep a very strong England batting line up to 260 [265]. We just didn’t bat well, simple as that. But we had a chance to win that game.
And then we batted like we needed to bat in the second game and managed to defend that. And then the third game we had England on the ropes, you know, 80/2 [87/2] off 20 overs on a on a great surface, and then made some fielding errors. So that was encouraging from that perspective.
T20 we were outplayed completely. We’ve got work to do in the T20 but certainly encouraged by the ODI performances.
On where England are placed – can they challenge for the 2027 ODI World Cup?
Gary Kirsten: They’re a quality outfit. They’ve got lots of depth, and they’ve got all their bases covered in terms of different types of batters.
They’ve got different bowling options, spin’s covered as well. So yeah, they’ve got lots of depth. They’ll be a strong white-ball team whether it’s T20 or ODIs, no doubt.
On the reception the Australian Test team will receive in South Africa from players, media and fans…
Gary Kirsten: The players are professionals. They just get on with the way they need to get on. But it will be a hot reception from the fans. It always is in South Africa.
It’s not an easy place to come and play as as a foreigner, but South Africa is a good side at the moment across all the formats, they’re not easy to beat. And now they’re at home and they’ll be a force to be reckoned with at home, that’s for sure.
On Kagiso Rabada’s potential absence from the Test series against Australia…
Gary Kirsten: KG is world class, but they’ve got three or four others lined up there. Anrich Nortje is back and fit. Marco Jansen has done a great job for them. [Gerald] Coetzee has done a great job for them.
So they’ve got some depth in their bowling attack. So yes, he’s a world class performer, but I think what they’ve done really well is build up their depth. So if you do have a few injuries… every team is trying to do that… if they have a few injuries, then you got back up.
On countries around the world playing more Test cricket…
Gary Kirsten: I’ve been with the Sri Lankan team for four Tests. And it’s great to be back in Test cricket. I mean, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.
And, you know, it’s really important for the game that your Sri Lankas, your West Indies, your Pakistans, your South Africas, your New Zealanders are playing more Test cricket. It is really, really important for the game. I’m a big believer in that, you can’t only have England, Australia playing lots of Test cricket.
I grew up on Test cricket. I grew up on five Test match series’, you know, and I can’t remember when last South Africa played a three Test match series; mainly two test matches, maybe a three somewhere I can’t think of think of where.
We’ve got six Tests as Sri Lanka coming up now up until February, which is great. So, the more test cricket the better. I know economically there are challenges behind it, but I think it’s important that all the countries are playing a fair amount of it.
