‘The best coach we’ve played under’ – Yuvraj Singh pens heartfelt message for birthday boy Gary Kirsten

‘The best coach we’ve played under’ – Yuvraj Singh pens heartfelt message for birthday boy Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten

Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten turned 53 years old today. Kirsten had a fruitful playing career as he notched up in excess of 14,000 international runs for South Africa. An elegant left-handed batter, he also scored over 16,000 first-class runs for Western Province.

Not only was the South African’s playing career successful but also his coaching career. Kirsten was appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team in 2008. He oversaw the Indian team’s ascendancy to the top of the World Test Rankings under MS Dhoni. The highest point came in 2011 when the Indian team won the World Cup in Kirsten’s last match in charge. After that, Kirsten had coaching stints at Hobart Hurricanes, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Yuvraj Singh wishes Gary Kirsten on Twitter

On the occasion of Kirsten’s 53rd birthday, Yuvraj Singh who was the hero for India in the victorious CWC 2011 campaign took to Twitter to send a heartful message for his former head-coach. He said, “Wishing a very Happy Birthday to @Gary_Kirsten. The best coach we played under! Someone who knew how to build a rock-solid team and bring out the best from each player on the park. Hope you’re doing good and staying safe. Have a great year ahead!”

Other cricketers like Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh also took to Twitter to send in their wishes.

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