Still coaching India

Unvarnished truths about national foibles straight from the Chappell. The interview former coach Greg Chappell gave ABC 8212; it is to be telecast shortly 8212; on his Indian experiences had more than its share of googlies which are best played with a straight bat. In fact, Chappell himself has just distanced himself from some of those observations, indicating that it was a very 8220;emotional time8221; when he had made those remarks.

Broad spectrum observations of this kind are usually an admixture of perspicacious observations gleaned from the field, or the pitch as the case may be here, and hasty conclusions derived in the heat of the moment. To the latter category belongs Chappell8217;s conclusion that the man who punched him at Bhubaneswar in January this year was acting out of racism. Regional chauvinism possibly, but racism, not by a long chalk. Clearly, whatever lessons Guru Greg has imbibed about India did not include expositions on Oriya pride, which was what had provoked the egregious behaviour in this instance. Chappell8217;s attacker, from all evidence, had wanted his state to be better represented in the Indian team and, having spotted the coach, more conspicuous certainly than a nondescript board member, lunged at him.

Justifiable, perhaps, is Chappell8217;s conclusion that there is a partiality in this part of the world to striking quid pro quos: you do me a favour, and I8217;ll do you one. But again the surmise that Sourav Ganguly expected the coach he had personally pushed for, to treat him with kid gloves is unfair to a man who went through the experience of losing not just his cap as captain but his place in the team, and then worked his way back on the strength of his cricket. As for the comment that the team for the 2007 World Cup was 8220;old8221; and 8220;flawed8221; and got the result it deserved, it begs the question: did Team India get the coach it deserved?