article about chappell

Chappell believed in boss management, not man management

Friday April 6, 02:49 AM

So much has happened in such a short time. Every hour we wait, we see more skeletons tumble out of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cupboard and everywhere else. Starting from the latest announcement of a rival Indian cricket league by a television channel (the Board, of course, says it had no information about it at all), to the outburst from Sachin Tendulkar, and culminating in the abrupt resignation of Greg Chappell as coach of Team India, it pushed the dreary, dragging World Cup in the West Indies completely out of Indian minds. Had it not been for Sachin's strongly-worded emotional outburst - and rightly so - perhaps the resignation of Greg Chappell might have been delayed and embarrassed the Board officials further when they sit for the crucial meeting on Friday. Now this urgent meeting appears to be a family get-together, with everyone knowing the problems, and the solutions too, if properly implemented. What happened that is making such a highly talented Indian team go through hell? The team has gone backwards for sure. There appears to be a complete divide between the seniors and the juniors. Who could be the root cause for such a debacle? Is it the flaw of the system or any individual? To some extent, it could be Greg Chappell, who started the drama when he succeeded in ousting Ganguly a year back for a while. Since then, he has possibly been rubbing the seniors up the wrong way, by declaring his liking for the younger breed without any experience. The experimentation with the batting order also took its toll. Nobody knew their stable position till the last match they played in the World Cup. Neither did Chappell look that communicative. In short, he believed more in Boss management than Man management. He just could not vibe with the players. He also failed to grasp the Indian psyche, the culture, the behaviour pattern, things almost opposite to what they have in Australia. More than that, in a country like India, the coach has to be on the vigil in ensuring that no groups are formed, and ensure the unity of the team. The players come from different cultures, speak different languages, fall back on different regional practices. Consciously, or subconsciously, they veer into groups. A small incident will explain the difference in cultures. On India's tour Down Under in December 1967, Australia's Prime Minister Harold Edward Holt went out to swim at sea and was lost (his body was never found). We were playing a Test in Melbourne. We learnt of the death on the way to the ground, and asked the taxi driver if a holiday would be declared. He just laughed and laughed. Think of what would have happened in India. They are so practical! The seniors must have smelt the process of elimination designed for them with the ouster of Ganguly. But Chappell failed in his mission when Ganguly made a big comeback. Chappell could have realised how pathetic his efforts were for inducting fresh blood, when the youngsters showed up with not only less talent, but also little dedication, devotion and determination - qualities the seniors had shown. There was just no bench-strength for his plan. He could have adjusted and started taking these experienced seniors into confidence. Instead, he became a dictator. At least, he could have put more stress on fielding. The Indian team looked pathetic on the field. Sure it isn't the best thing to wash dirty linen in public. But then, who provoked the most composed and coolest guy in cricket to come out with such a scathing attack on his coach? It was the same Chappell who would leak inside stories to his journalist friends whenever it suited him. It was the same Chappell who blamed the team for the bad shows and took credit quietly for the good displays. Doesn't he know that all those clashes and hot discussions and little bits of scolding should remain within the four walls of the dressing room? It's a pity that ultimately it has to be Sachin driving the last nail in to confirm Chappell's departure. We must now wait for his report and if he is true to his words, it may have something for the Board to arrest this downfall of Indian cricket. Who could be replacing him? Of course, the best choice is Sunil Gavaskar. He is most respected all over the world. Next choices could be Mohinder Amarnath or Sandeep Patil or Aunshuman Gaekwad. But in the present set up, it will all depend who wields the vote bank. Isn't it sad? Meanwhile, it continues to amaze me how neither the West Indies Cricket Board nor the ICC tried to sincerely make this World Cup a great event to remember! What has happened to that lovely music, that steel band, the jazz, calypso and reggae to the delight of whatever little sparse crowd is hanging around there? Why not give free access to school children to fill up those empty stands of the newly constructed stadiums? Is this really the kind of cricket promotion in a country where the game is almost dying? Wednesday's match was the most crucial for England and Sri-Lanka for getting into the semi-finals. The wicket had a funny look, though nicely bonded with solution. Perhaps, the same solution could have been used for the outfield where sand flew in plenty as the ball travelled or lobbed.

The Poms seemed determined, well-planned and bowling to the field. But while batting, they just couldn't handle the pressure and the fiery spell of Fernando and the superb team work of the Sri Lankans.

https://in.sports.yahoo.com/070405/48/6e806.html

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dht's not good critaria.. 😳