Chappells Fierce Focus on Sachin,calls him mentally fragile

Former India coach Greg Chappell takes potshots at the batsman in his new book.

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Another book,another claim of Sachin Tendulkars weaknesses,this time from a past member of the Indian staff. Former India coach Greg Chappell has come with his own book that again targets the batting icon.

In the book titled Fierce Focus,Chappell has claimed that Tendulkar was mentally fragile at a certain stage of his illustrious career and was beset with self-doubt. Chappell,who had a controversial three-year stint as India coach from 2005-07,claims that Tendulkars mental state had been surprisingly fragile in 2006. At one point early in my time with the Indian team 8230; he came and talked to me for about two hours, Chappell writes in his new book,a brief extract of which was published in the Herald Sun.

He was frustrated with his form and racked with self-doubt. Since hed come back in Malaysia in a one-day tournament in 2006,Sachins mental state had been surprisingly fragile and he came to me for help, Chappell writes,apparently referring to a period when Tendulkar was struggling for form,besides also having surgery for tennis elbow.

Chappell,who was sacked a few months back as Australias national selector after a reported fall out with senior cricketers,suggested that Tendulkar could have been affected by the weight of expectations. When the team travelled,he would snap on his headphones,not look sideways,and shut it all out. Not even Don Bradman carried expectations like this,and Sachin had been bearing it since 1989, Chappell says in the book.

He just couldnt get any rest. Once we were talking 8230; and I said,You must have so many friends,it must be hard finding time to keep in touch with all of them. He looked me in the eye and said,Greg,you would have more friends in India than Ive got, Chappell writes. Chappells views on Tendulkar come barely two months before what could be the Indian maestros farewell four-Test tour of Australia this summer. Only recently,there had been a huge controversy generated by Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtars autobiography,where he claimed that Tendulkar was scared of his bowling.