Gary Kirsten will bring calmness to the Protea cricket team – Peter Kristen.

“His temperament and people skills – along with his [cricket] talent – are what he will bring to the team,” said older brother Peter, who played Test cricket with his sibling in the early 1990s.

“Those are the qualities that served him well when he was an opening batsman and it’s fantastic that he can now bring these to bear when coaching the team.”

Peter, at 56, is 13 years older than Gary.

The brothers played seven Tests together. They opened the batting together in Peter’s last Test, an eight-wicket defeat by England at the Oval in 1994.

Like Gary, Peter is also a coach, but the irony is that, at a time when Cricket South Africa virtually pleaded with Gary to take over the Proteas, Peter cannot get a coaching job in this country.

Peter runs a cricket school in East London and has applied, without any success, for several coaching posts in South Africa.

Nevertheless, Peter is pleased for his younger brother.

“He can help salvage a lot of pride for South African cricket,” he said.

“Especially being a World Cup winner.

“There is no doubt that his mind and character will be of enormous benefit to South African cricket.

“We are all very proud of him and happy for the future of South African cricket,” said Peter of a family that have always been close, “including my sister Cheryl”.

The Kirstens have all been talented sports people. Peter was a flyhalf prodigy at SACS in Cape Town. When he represented Western Province schools at the Craven Week in Stellenbosch, you would see the spectators desert the fields around Coetzenburg’s main ground to come and watch WP, and especially Kirsten, play.

Gary decided early to focus on cricket and made his debut for South Africa on December 14 1993 in a one-day international against Australia and was called up for his first Test when Peter was injured during the 1993/94 series against Australia.

Gary was never a stylish batsman like his elder brother, but as Peter said, “Gary is able to get on well with people and he has a good work ethic. And he is also very fit.”

All those qualities will be needed as he takes on a team that is still shell-shocked from its dramatic World Cup exit and an administration that is at war with itself.

Source: timeslive.co.za

Pic: iol.co.za