Gary Kirsten to grace Falcon College fundraiser

Sport
WORLD Cup winning South African cricket coach Gary Kirsten will visit Zimbabwe for a private function at one of the country’s leading private schools — Falcon College — next month.

WORLD Cup winning South African cricket coach Gary Kirsten will visit Zimbabwe for a private function at one of the country’s leading private schools — Falcon College — next month.

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

The South African, who guided India to World Cup glory in 2011, will be the guest speaker at a Falcon College fundraising function in Esigodini on September 8.

Kirsten played 101 Test matches and 185 One Day Internationals for South Africa between 1993 and 2004, mainly as an opening batsman. A consistent scorer, Gary held the South African record for most runs and centuries in Test cricket until Jacques Kallis overtook him.

He established the Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy in Cape Town and Durban, and spends much of his time developing stars of the future.

Kirsten’s visit is being organised by Falcon College, who last year hosted former Zimbabwe captain and ex-England coach Andy Flower.

Flower, who is widely acknowledged as the country’s most decorated cricketer, was the guest of honour at last year’s fundraising event which was attended by some of his former national teammates, Tatenda Taibu, Trevor Gripper, Douglas Marillier, Craig Evans, Gary Brent, Gavin Rennie, Campbell and Guy Whittall.

A bat belonging to Flower was auctioned off for $2 100 while an England warm-up shirt was sold for $500.

Falcon College headmaster Reginald Querl, his wife Martha, the private school’s sports director Brendan French and Gavin Ewing, the man in charge of cricket at the institution, were present at the event.

Last year’s fundraising dinner was meant to raise funds to put up a roof over their basketball courts and also install floodlights at the same facility.