Delhi Daredevils part ways with Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten, the coach who played a pivotal role in India’s 2011 World Cup victory, has been sacked from the post of the coach for the Delhi Daredevils. Kirsten was appointed as Daredevils’ coach before the 2013 season of the IPL.
The team has had a dilapidated run in the last two seasons, finishing last in the 2014 season, and second-last in the 2015 season.
Hemat Dua, the chief executive of the GMR Group that owns the Delhi Daredevils, said that the franchise owners were not happy with the team’s performance in the last two seasons. "We have grown, but the [GMR Group] board took a decision that it was not working and then we decided to let him go," Dua told ESPNcricinfo.
"It was a mutual decision. At the end of the day everything is performance related. The pressure is always there," he added.
Dua also said that close shaves didn’t really matter, as the Daredevils weren’t winning – given that they had many close games during last season, but inevitably missed out on crossing the finishing line on all those occasions. Daredevils have won only seven of the 28 matches that they have played in the IPL since Kirsten took over.
Kirsten’s track record might not have been great with the Delhi Daredevils, but he was superb for the time he was involved with the Indian National Cricket Team as their head coach. He signed a three-year contract with the Daredevils in 2013, but has been removed after his second year, as the owners try to move on to more successful days.
A suitable replacement for the post hasn’t been revealed yet.