G. RAJARAMAN interviews Greg ChappellG. RAJARAMAN interviews Greg Chappell "I'm not asking for preferential treatment. The media can be highly inflammatory...you just can't win."
"Only a strong group can win...there's no place in the team for someone even slightly different." Over the last few days, Indian coach Greg Chappell was asked many times to clarify his comments to a TV network about Shoaib Akhtar's bowling action. But he steadfastly refused. Still, having committed to an interview at the start of the Pakistan tour, Chappell spoke to G. Rajaraman after the 341-run defeat in the final Test at Karachi. Though he would not be led to comment on individual players, he talked extensively about working with the Indian team. Excerpts:
Your thoughts after the loss in Karachi?Few teams will have survived what we did over the past three weeks.
In Lahore, we showed character in batting well after Pakistan made 679. Then in Faisalabad, we replicated that by overhauling their first innings score of 588. The cumulative psychological stress caused by chasing big scores repeatedly can be enormous. That a team goes through three back-to-back Tests is tough at the best of times, but we bowled and fielded twice as many overs as Pakistan and that can be a tremendous physical and mental drain. I'm proud of the way the players handled it. History shows that few teams have been set a fourth innings target of 600 runs. It's a huge ask. Pakistan bowled well with the new ball, taking four wickets in the first 20 overs or so in both innings. We didn't do that in the second innings.
Do you think Indian cricketers have the mental strength to cope with such tasks?It is there. We lost the toss in the first two Tests, came up against huge scores.
The batters then did their job. I liked the manner in which the bowlers fought back in the second innings in Faisalabad. But doing this repeatedly, the focus can get distracted and mental strength dissipates. For 13 days in the series we were focused, but the mountains of runs proved too much in the end. We have some positives from the series, not the least being Yuvraj Singh's batting. I liked the way Irfan Pathan came back to take five wickets after the media mauling of recent weeks.
Is coach Chappell a misunderstood man?I don't know. Most people only know what they see in the media and the distance doesn't reflect the situation or the person. But they seem to understand that I am here to get the best out of players with the best interests of the team. There is no other agenda. Most people I come in touch with understand this implicitly. Having said that, I can say that it is preferable—for the image portrayed is balanced and close to what I am. I am not asking for preferential treatment.
Would you attribute some of the misunderstandings to cultural differences?I've no problems with that. And I believe the players have not had any.
Would you say the media has played a subjective role in the creation of your image?They can be highly inflammatory and sometimes I can't win whatever I say. It is a lose-lose situation since anything I say can give some people ammunition to use. I prefer 'no comment' to that question.
What about attitude problems? Is there a problem in motivating players?A team needs a balance between batsmen and bowlers, fast bowlers and spinners, left-handers and right-handers, batsmen who can soak up the pressure, play a long innings and those who counter-attack. But there are some things which are non-negotiable. These range over a number of issues, usually lumped under a common tag 'attitude problems'. And these relate to cricketers who will not correct or do not want to work on their game. When the coach speaks to such players, they have the option of responding to suggestions made. The response allows in an assessment of what the player is likely to do in the future. If a coach has a choice between a talented player who doesn't want to work on his cricket and a player who is ready to improve with the team interest in mind, he will choose the latter.
If players are unwilling to take direction and there are others available prepared to focus on the team interests, we don't have the time. There is too much to be done on those wanting to improve than those who don't understand team interests.
In India, we may have a history of players with so-called attitude problems....It's not just India. Most nations have had to deal with such issues from time to time and players have been given guidelines. Each coach has his own methods. I am clear about my own and I know that certain things work and others don't, especially in the team environment. It's a group that the coach works on, not a group of individuals. It has been shown from time to time that only a strong group can win. We can't accommodate someone who is even slightly different. When I met the players at the camp in Bangalore (at the start of the season), I made it clear they will choose themselves in or out with their attitude and their performance. Over the years, I have been in a lot of teams as player, captain, coach and selector and I know what works and what doesn't. So much time I spend in preparing the group to win that it gets hard to spend time on those with 'attitude problems'.
Is there a conflict between player routines down the years and the new methods you have introduced? Have Indian players adapted to your methods?I don't change things like stance or grip. What I am focusing on is to help the players change their thought process, their planning and preparation. I'm trying to get them to think differently, to do different things. I believe the players have adapted beautifully, even enjoying the process. It's not a matter of different cultures but a matter of how you can work to be the best cricketer you can be. We have done enormous work and improved in many areas. These processes can give you the best chance to be competitive. The areas of work focus on dealing with different situations and understanding what works and what doesn't in Tests or in one-dayers. They focus on which areas we need to bowl and on batting as well. We have also done a lot of work on fielding and fitness.
AuthorTopic: 'The Cumulative Stress Was Too Much' - GC speaks on Pak tests (Read 633 times)
January 21, 2006, 12:45:14 AM