Greg in a bind

When the credentials of applicant Greg Chappell were being put under the scanner before the choice for the Indian coach8217;s job was made,...

When the credentials of applicant Greg Chappell were being put under the scanner before the choice for the Indian coach8217;s job was made, it escaped nobody8217;s attention that however great a player he was, Chappell never did prove himself as a coach.

That he did finally clinch the issue was, in the main, because of his 8220;professional presentation8221;. The trouble with skipper Sourav Ganguly raises questions of man-management, a feeling that gains currency from a critical article in The Melbourne Age.

Chappell8217;s little coaching experience was with South Australia. Former Redback Paul 8216;Blocker8217; Wilson has been quoted in The Age as saying, 8220;Chappell was a fantastic individual skills and batting coach, but he was a poor coach when it came to looking after a group of people.8221;

Wilson, who left South Australia for the 2002-03 season to play for Western Australia and now coaches the WA women8217;s team, added8221;: 8220;When he was with SA, a lot of guys fell by the wayside. Greg didn8217;t seem to worry himself with a lot of the guys and they really didn8217;t feel led. 8220;It8217;s only now, under Wayne Phillips, that the lost ground is being recovered.8221;

The Age notes that in his five seasons with SA 8212; 1998-99 to 2002-03 8212; the Redbacks finished no better than fourth in the Pura Cup. In addition to playing, Wilson worked for the SA Cricket Association as a marketing and development officer during Chappell8217;s tenure.

Chappell8217;s appointment there, too, was a similar affair, says Wilson. It was a public relations-driven appointment. He was one who said the right things and looked the part, but did little to aid the team8217;s development.

8220;No real talent came through and I don8217;t think he looked hard enough within his own squad or the state for the players that could have improved,8221; Wilson said.

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He says many players coached by Chappell were surprised he was appointed India coach.