Gary Kirsten blasts MS Dhoni critics; doesn't rule out Indian coaching comeback

Kirsten believes Dhoni has been unfairly criticized

Former India coach Gary Kirsten strongly defended MS Dhoni in the midst of the sharp criticism aimed at him following the loss against South Africa in the ODI series opener on Sunday, DNAIndia reports. The South African legend feels Dhoni is being unfairly targetted and also opened up on his chances of making a comeback as coach of the Indian national team.

India lost the 1^st ODI at Kanpur from a winning position with most of the blame being laid squarely on Dhoni for failing to see India through. It led to suggestions that the skipper was losing his knack of being a ‘finisher’, while Australian legend Ian Chappell felt it was time for Test skipper Virat Kohli to take on the mantle in the shorter formats as well.

Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar however strongly backed Dhoni to continue playing cricket for at least 3 more years and Kirsten echoed similar thoughts on the matter.

"Absolutely not. Why? I don't understand why people say that (Dhoni should retire). We look at it from the outside. Everyone is surprised when people say that. Why must he go?" Kirsten said. "I have always said that he is one of the greatest players to have ever played. I have worked with him as a coach. He is a great player. He will be regarded as one of India's great players if not the greatest captain. His performances tell the story. You just have to look at his performances."

MS Dhoni went a long way in silencing his critics on Wednesday as his knock of 92 from 86 balls helped India win the Indore ODI by 22 runs. Kirsten expects more of the same from Dhoni in the coming matches and feels there’s no one better who can finish off the innings better than Dhoni himself.

"The South African players will be happy if he wasn't there in the team," he says, before asking, "Who is going to replace him? Virat (Kohli) bats at No. 3. What is his (Dhoni's) one-day average? Best in the world. (Laughs). I can't understand the thinking," he adds. “I saw some big shots this evening (Wednesday). I saw some huge shots. Do the media do that to the players? Why would they run a player down like it? He is one of the greatest players India have ever had. Would they do that to Sachin? I think it's very unfair.”

Kirsten believes India have a bright future; could make comeback as coach

Gary Kirsten didn’t rule out the possibility of making a return as coach of the Indian cricket team

Kirsten, who enjoyed a successful coaching stint with the Indian team, leading them to success in the 2011 World Cup held at India, revealed his thoughts on how Indian cricket has continued to play good cricket despite losing quite a few senior, established players.

"I think the Indian team has done well in the last few years to be honest. They won the Champions Trophy in 2013, it was a great result and another trophy for them. They have brought in a lot of young players. I kind of finished with a lot of the senior players. Many players were at the end of their careers. There was a new process unfolded for the preparation of the World Cup,” he said.

Kirsten is confident that India’s current crop of young players can continue to lead the team to more success in the future.

“I think there are some great young players who have come through. Rohit Sharma is shining, Ajinkya Rahane is playing beautiful cricket, Virat has come through as captain. He continues to play good cricket, Ashwin has done really well. These are exciting young players with great form. They have now played three-four years, it's a good sign," Kirsten added.

The 47-year-old, who went on to take on the coaching role of South Africa from June 2011 before stepping down in August 2013, revealed that there have been enquiries from the BCCI regarding his availability as coach but added that he was undecided on the matter as of now.

"There have been one or two phone calls. I am not in a position to make those decisions. I am enjoying my life out of cricket," he said. Kirsten, however, doesn't rule out a comeback. "You can never rule anything out in life. See what the situation is. I never say yes or never say no, it's difficult."