When Greg Chappell quit his job after the disastrous World Cup
campaign in 2007, he cited personal reasons. Yet, there were stories
that in his internal report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI), he questioned the loyalty of some senior cricketers (mainly
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly).
The Chappell episode or to elaborate his stint with the Indian cricket team as its coach, will be etched in our memories for all the wrong reasons. True, he didn’t get along well with Ganguly and most senior cricketers including Tendulkar. But the ultimate victim was Indian cricket.
In Chappell’s case it was ego and his ambition to have the final say that did him in. He was lucky to have an obedient captain in Rahul Dravid who let the former work on his ‘vision for Indian cricket.’ But the Chappell-Dravid era threw more off-the field tales than on-the-field which added grist to gossip mills that all was not well within the team. Ask any cricketer who played under his coaching, rest assured hardly a word of appreciation for the former Aussie great will greet you.
As the date for the selection of Team India’s new coach draws closer, BCCI needs to have a look at the past and then decide on the name. Captaining and coaching the Indian cricket team are the most arduous jobs in the country apart from the Indian Prime Minister’s. With constant media vigilance and the passion associated with the game, grey hairs are an inevitable by the time one calls it a day.
It’s important that the coach knows where to draw the line. By meddling in everything in the team, he only draws his own nemesis. What Chappell did, his predecessor John Wright didn’t, neither did the former’s successor Gary Kirsten. Both Wright and Kirsten knew what was expected of them and commanded immense respect from the players. Though Wright was more vocal than Kirsten, yet the former developed a great working relationship with the then captain Ganguly. Kirsten on the other hand hardly spoke to the media and concentrated on his job. He brought to Indian cricket a breath of fresh air that was missing during the Chappell era.
When one says, never cross the line, he harps on the importance of sharing of responsibilities that the coach and the skipper need to follow. The job of a coach is to train the boys and advise the skipper on the shape his players are in. Yes, he is part of the team management, but a coach can never ever impose his thoughts on the team something which Chappell did. At the same time Indian cricket will ill-afford another Duncan Fletcher whose baffling ways did more harm to Indian cricket than good.
Both Wright and Kirsten were accomplished cricketers during their days, but never did they coerce their boys into emulating their feats. They played to the strength and weakness of their players and shared excellent rapport with superstars like Dravid, Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni and Ganguly as well as newcomers (during Wright’s days) like Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and others.
BCCI president Anurag Thakur stresses on the knowledge of Hindi as one of the criteria to be India’s next coach while the Indian skipper in the truncated versions, Dhoni is of the view that the coach should understand the diversity of Indian cultures. It’s not a question of the language barrier, but the latter which should be of foremost importance. In Virat Kohli and Dhoni, the country has two leaders who earn utmost confidence from juniors and seniors alike. Both are great team-men with impeccable leadership qualities and adept at handling adversities.
It is here that the next Indian coach’s role becomes crucial. Going by the stature Kohli and Dhoni enjoy, the next coach must not be over assertive. He shouldn't intervene unless required. A good coach should know that it’s the captain who calls the shots on the field and not him.
Coaching Australia or England is far easier than coaching a team on the sub-continent where the passion runs high. Coach-captain fall-outs are a common feature in India and Pakistan.
As Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman get ready to go through the rigorous process to pick the next Indian coach they need to look into this aspect before choosing the man for the coveted job. It doesn’t matter whether he is from India or abroad, a healthy equation with the skipper and the rest of the team is what will guide Team India to greater heights in the future.
“I am your elder brother who is with you through thick and thin,” let these be the assuring words from the next coach to his boys. We can’t afford another Chappell.
The Chappell episode or to elaborate his stint with the Indian cricket team as its coach, will be etched in our memories for all the wrong reasons. True, he didn’t get along well with Ganguly and most senior cricketers including Tendulkar. But the ultimate victim was Indian cricket.
In Chappell’s case it was ego and his ambition to have the final say that did him in. He was lucky to have an obedient captain in Rahul Dravid who let the former work on his ‘vision for Indian cricket.’ But the Chappell-Dravid era threw more off-the field tales than on-the-field which added grist to gossip mills that all was not well within the team. Ask any cricketer who played under his coaching, rest assured hardly a word of appreciation for the former Aussie great will greet you.
As the date for the selection of Team India’s new coach draws closer, BCCI needs to have a look at the past and then decide on the name. Captaining and coaching the Indian cricket team are the most arduous jobs in the country apart from the Indian Prime Minister’s. With constant media vigilance and the passion associated with the game, grey hairs are an inevitable by the time one calls it a day.
It’s important that the coach knows where to draw the line. By meddling in everything in the team, he only draws his own nemesis. What Chappell did, his predecessor John Wright didn’t, neither did the former’s successor Gary Kirsten. Both Wright and Kirsten knew what was expected of them and commanded immense respect from the players. Though Wright was more vocal than Kirsten, yet the former developed a great working relationship with the then captain Ganguly. Kirsten on the other hand hardly spoke to the media and concentrated on his job. He brought to Indian cricket a breath of fresh air that was missing during the Chappell era.
When one says, never cross the line, he harps on the importance of sharing of responsibilities that the coach and the skipper need to follow. The job of a coach is to train the boys and advise the skipper on the shape his players are in. Yes, he is part of the team management, but a coach can never ever impose his thoughts on the team something which Chappell did. At the same time Indian cricket will ill-afford another Duncan Fletcher whose baffling ways did more harm to Indian cricket than good.
Both Wright and Kirsten were accomplished cricketers during their days, but never did they coerce their boys into emulating their feats. They played to the strength and weakness of their players and shared excellent rapport with superstars like Dravid, Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni and Ganguly as well as newcomers (during Wright’s days) like Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and others.
BCCI president Anurag Thakur stresses on the knowledge of Hindi as one of the criteria to be India’s next coach while the Indian skipper in the truncated versions, Dhoni is of the view that the coach should understand the diversity of Indian cultures. It’s not a question of the language barrier, but the latter which should be of foremost importance. In Virat Kohli and Dhoni, the country has two leaders who earn utmost confidence from juniors and seniors alike. Both are great team-men with impeccable leadership qualities and adept at handling adversities.
It is here that the next Indian coach’s role becomes crucial. Going by the stature Kohli and Dhoni enjoy, the next coach must not be over assertive. He shouldn't intervene unless required. A good coach should know that it’s the captain who calls the shots on the field and not him.
Coaching Australia or England is far easier than coaching a team on the sub-continent where the passion runs high. Coach-captain fall-outs are a common feature in India and Pakistan.
As Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman get ready to go through the rigorous process to pick the next Indian coach they need to look into this aspect before choosing the man for the coveted job. It doesn’t matter whether he is from India or abroad, a healthy equation with the skipper and the rest of the team is what will guide Team India to greater heights in the future.
“I am your elder brother who is with you through thick and thin,” let these be the assuring words from the next coach to his boys. We can’t afford another Chappell.
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