Kirsten to be India's coach, to go to Australia

JOHANNESBURG: Former South African opening batsman Gary Kirsten said on Tuesday that he has agreed to be the coach of Indian cricket team from March one next year.
    
Kirsten said he would, however, be going with the Indian team to its tour of Australia starting later this month as a consultant with the team.
    
Kirsten said he would be given a two-year contract beginning from March 1st next year.
    
The 40-year-old left hander declined to reveal the terms and conditions of his contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which had offered him the assignment.
    
"My terms and conditions are confidential", he said.

Kirsten said he had already told the Indian cricket board that he would not be available for the tour of Australia.
    
Asked about reports on his concern over some senior Indian cricketers' reservations about having him as the coach, Kirsten said he has no concerns about what the cricketers think of his appointment.
      
Earlier, media reports quoted Kirsten as saying that he could not commit himself to the coaching job unless the air was cleared about the senior players' views.
    
Kirsten was interviewed by a committee of experts set up by the Board in a cloak of secrecy in Delhi last week.

Kirsten has played 101 tests for South Africa.
     
The Indian cricket team had been without a coach since Australian Greg Chappell gave up the hot seat after the debacle in the last World Cup in the West Indies in March.