South African Keppler Wessels, the lone international cricketer who has played for two countries, has been roped in to coach India Cement's Chennai Super Kings team, one of the eight IPL franchisees, for a one-year term.
The 50-year-old Wessels, a former captain of South Africa, who has also represented Australian team, would be joining the Kings on March 20, V B Chandrasekar, former national selection committee member and Head of Cricketing Matters of the Chennai outfit said.
Wessels had scored centuries in tests for both the countries. Former India spinner, L Sivaramakrishnan, presently a commentator, was instrumental in bringing in the South African to the team.
"We had been in touch with four internationals and today signed the contract with Wessels. He was one of the four candidates to coach our national team and we wanted someone who is focused on international cricket. Wessels has been coaching for years and his experience will help us win the IPL tournament," Chandrasekar said.
An elated Wessels, who had last year approached the BCCI to coach the Indian national team, told PTI over phone that the focus will be on the younger talent of Chennai team and it gives me an opportunity to work with seven or eight youmg talents in the team. I am happy to be heading the coaching team for India Cements.
Stating that the team is one of the best and a balanced one, Wessels said "I am happy to be working with Matthew Hayden with whom I had played cricket in Australia".
"More importantly, I gather that the India Cements has been promoting the game in India for over two decades and they are professional people and this is also a plus point for me," Wessels, who had opened for Australia for four years and was South Africa's first test captain, said.
New Zealander Martin Crowe (McDowell-Bangalore), Aussies John Buchanan (Kolkata) and Tom Moody (Mohali), Victoria's Greg Shippered (Delhi) and former Indian all rounder, Robin Singh (Hyderabad) are the high-profile coaches of various IPL teams, while Mumbai and Jaipur were yet to decide on a coach.
Indian one-day team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sri Lanka's world highest test wicket taker Muthiah Muralitharan, hard hitting Matthew Hyden, former Kiwi captain, Stephen Fleming, South Africans Albie Morkel and Makhaya Ntini, Parthiv Patel, Joginder Sharma and Suresh Raina were bought by the Cement major in an auction of February 20 last.
The Chennai team has also signed opening batsman Arirudha Srikkanth, off spinner R Ashwin, UP fast bowler Sudeep Tyagi and Tamil Nadu captain and Indian star Subramaniam Badrinath.
Chandrasekar said that other players in the 22-member team would be decided before end of the month.
