Former India coach Gary Kirsten claims Sachin was thinking of retirement after the 2007 World Cup

One of the most popular coaches of Team India to date, Gary Kirsten has shared many interesting experiences during his tenure. He has mentioned many memorable moments in the podcast named - The Final World Cricket. Kirsten, a veteran South African batsman, was the chief coach of the Indian team from 2007 to 2011. It was in his presence that India won the 2011 World Cup.
Kirsten said – When I joined the team, the biggest challenge was to prepare the right combination. The team had a lot of potentials but needed the right balance. It was more important to understand which player fits where.
Kirsten further said – Sachin was the most different for me because he was very unhappy when I joined the team. He was worried about the 2007 ODI World and form. He wanted to do a lot for the team but he did not know cricket. There was a time in his career when he started thinking about retirement. It was a challenge for me to convince him in the team. Soon they were able to recover from it. He had a huge contribution to the team's victory in 2011.
Kirsten said - In 2007, Sachin was not able to enjoy cricket. In such a situation, I did not think it right to give him a new responsibility by making him captain. Dhoni, meanwhile, was exceptional as a leader as he was focused on getting the team to do well, winning trophies and achieving great success. Sachin also started enjoying cricket after Dhoni became the captain.