There have been a few batsmen who have gone on to coach an international team. And they have had more success as a coach than as a player. Here's a list of those cricketers-cum-successful coaches.
1) Gary Kirsten
Kirsten was one of the greatest opening Test batsmen ever for South Africa. He is known for his gutsy innings at the top of the order. He once batted 14 and a half hours to score a gritty 275 following on against England. Post-retirement, he took up the job of Indian cricket coach, and took the team to No 1 rank in Test cricket, before winning the World Cup in 2011, and calling time on his Indian job. He moved on to coach South Africa and took them to No 1 spot in Test cricket.
2) John Wright
Wright was the first New Zealand batsman to score 4000 runs in Test cricket. He took to coaching post his retirement. He had a successful career as a coach of India. Under his guidance, India posted the famous Test series win against Australia at home in 2001, a series win in Pakistan, and Test wins in England and Australia. After he left the job, he took a five-year hiatus before returning to coach New Zealand. Among his achievements included New Zealand’s first Test win in Australia in 26 years, and reaching the semi-finals of 2011 World Cup.
3) Andy Flower
Andy Flower was one of the best Zimbabwean batsmen during his time. He was one of the best players of spin in the sub-continent. He scored 540 runs in a Test series in India while being out just twice. Post-retirement, he took the job of an assistant coach of England in 2007. He was named England's Team Director in 2009. Under his coaching, England turned into a world-beating side, defeating India 4-0 in the Test series in 2011 that propelled them to No 1 rank in Test cricket. England also won two Ashes series, home and away, and lifted their first ICC trophy in 2011 World T20 under Flower.
4) Darren Lehmann
Lehmann could have played more Test matches if not for the abundance of talent in the Australian dressing room. However, he still managed to play 27 Tests. He had more success in ODIs for Australia, scoring the winning runs in the 1999 World Cup final, and being part of the 2003 World Cup-winning team. Post-retirement, he took to coaching and was highly successful. He coached Deccan Chargers to IPL victory in 2009. Under his coaching, Queensland won the 2011-12 Sheffield Shield and the 2012-13 Ryobi Cup. He coached Australia since 2003 until the ball-tampering scandal that broke out in 2018.
Photo courtesy: Gary Kirsten's Facebook page
