Gary Kirsten (fondly known as Gazza) and I have been friends and colleagues in various capacities for over 30 years. Gazza played professional cricket for 17 years, 11 of them for South Africa, then went on to be a professional coach, which he has been doing for the last 18 years. Both careers are strewn with fascinating highs and lows as he played with and against, coached some of the world's best cricketers. Along the way he has accumulated a wealth of experience. He generously shares the lessons he’s learnt with us in this episode. Gary wasn’t even the most talented cricketer in his family, and by professional standards was a batsman of average talent. He began developing a game plan and mindset early on in his life that would see him leverage the best of his average talent, leading him to the top of the international game. He reflects on this and how he feels he could have done better. A deeply personal coaching conversation between him and I, towards the back end of his playing career, changed his perspective on life and on his game, and lead to his best season ever. At the time he wrote me a letter about the impact that it had on him. Gary opens up about this, and 16 years later, allows me to read you some of that letter. As head coach, Gary lead the Indian Cricket team to become world test champions and to win the 2011 ICC World Cup. He then went on to lead the South African national team to become the first team in the world to simultaneously hold the world number 1 ranking in all three formats of the international game. Throughout the five years with both teams, I was Gary's assistant, confidant, and the team's mental coach. Listen in as we talk about this journey, about what worked, what didn’t, and why. For the first time since it happened 12 years ago, we discuss my biggest ever professional f*#k-up, which negatively impacted Gary. We speak about what lead me to make such a big mistake, the impact it had on Gary personally and on our relationship, and how we dealt with it. We also explore how well (or badly) the sporting world is doing in relation to hiring, assessing and firing coaches - and how this could be done more effectively. This conversation is candid, free-flowing, and authentic. It’s packed with fascinating insights for coaches, leaders and anyone interested in learning from Gazza, an ordinary man who has achieved extra-ordinary things.

Credentials and Context  00.- 4.22

Podcasts thoughts  4.23

Gazza and Paddy's history  5.18

Coaching the Indian team 08.15

Talking talent  09.35

Impact of team mates  19.20

Impact of coaches  25.00

Careers lows  29.50

Lessons from Covid  34.70

Fear of failure 37.00

From player to coach  45.40

Ego and results  48.05

Coaching criteria  55.00

Sex dossier scandal 1.13.50