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[Blwe_torch]

http://ia.rediff.com/cricket/2006/feb/14cinter.htm?q=tp&file=.htm

His agenda:
"I have only one agenda from the day I arrived. I was employed to try to improve the Indian cricket team. I came here with that agenda and that is the only agenda I have."

His commitment, he said, is to excellence, and he is working very hard along with his support staff, skipper Rahul Dravid and the team towards that goal.

"We are seeing results of that on the field. The job is only partly done. It is probably not even half done, in the sense of what we need to be able to do on a consistent basis to win cricket matches."

Controversies:
"I knew to make change was going to be difficult. To change the way people perceive things, the way people think, whether it is the players, the media or general public takes time. Along the way there are bound to be some fluctuations. I cannot get involved in that and cannot get distracted by that."

Does former India captain Sourav Ganguly figure in his plans for World Cup 2007?
"I am not able to say at this stage who will be in that squad. As I said to the group of 30-odd players when we started in Bangalore in June, who plays in 2007 World Cup has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with selectors. In any case I am one of the seven people involved in the process. It is actually up to each individual to either select themselves in or select themselves out, and that will be by performance, by their attitude, by their ability to fit into all the criteria that are needed to be a Test cricketer or a one-day international player.

"It has less to do with the runs made and wickets taken. It has to do with having everything that makes up the individual who blends into a group that can be a successful team. It has a lot to do with individuals and their commitment to getting better as a person, getting better as player. It is not just about batting or bowling; fielding is a very important part of it.

"Then there is attitude -- your attitude towards the team, towards your team mates. There is a checklist of about ten points each individual needs to be able to meet to fit into the future of the Indian cricket."

In other words, is it up to Gunguly?
"It is up to all of us. It is up to any individual who is playing cricket to display qualities that are necessary to meet the requirements of a successful team."

Bowling coach: Does India need one?
"No, we do not need a bowling coach. We have got hundreds of bowling coaches. We have got Michael Holding on television who tells us everything that we have to do. We have Imran Khan on television everyday telling us what we have to do."

Is he worried by the drop in pace of Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan?
"Some bowlers start their careers as medium pacers and they finish up as fast bowlers like Imran Khan did. You have got others who start as fast bowlers but finish up as medium fast bowlers like Richard Hadlee. You have got other bowlers like Kapil Dev who were swing bowlers who bowled at 130 kmph. They got hundreds of wickets in Test cricket.

"I am not sure Pathan has dropped that much pace -- he still bowls 136 or 137 kmph from time to time. In Zimbabwe a few months ago he bowled in high 130s."

"He is a young man who is developing. There has been way too much emotion and energy devoted to this particular subject. There are not many cricketers in the history of the game at 21 years of age who have got the record Pathan has got. Let us accept he is not a fast bowler. Once we accept that we might not have all this emotional claptrap that goes on about Pathan."

World Cup 2007:
"I do not have worries as such. I have some focuses. There are some areas we need to develop such as our batting, bowling and fielding, our flexibility, our ability to handle all types of situations that can come up on the field during a cricket match. If we keep developing in all these areas we will be a competitive team that will have a chance to win the World Cup. If we can get to semi-finals anyone can win from that point."

Indian dressing room:
"We have a very happy and committed dressing room. We have a bunch of cricketers from Sachin Tendulkar, who has played hundreds of Test matches and hundreds of limited over matches, to cricketers who have played two or three one-day games. We have a good blend of personalities, good blend of talent, youth and experience."

Search for fast bowlers:
"If Indian cricket lacks anything through its history it is that we have not had a lot of fast bowlers. That has a lot to do with culture, climate and conditions. The BCCI needs to look at types of players that win Test matches. History of cricket tells you that fast bowlers have a big part to play. We need to look at parts of India that are likely to develop fast bowlers. The sort of wickets we play on domestic cricket makes a very big difference to the types of bowlers that get developed."

[arjun]

The Chappell interview was okay, gels with what he had been saying for the last few months. The concern really is : does he practise what he preaches? Does he have an open mind? I am not thinking of SG alone when I write this. SG is part of the issue, the broader concern is Indian cricket in the mid term.

[Sahir]

The Chappell interview was okay, gels with what he had been saying for the last few months. The concern really is : does he practise what he preaches? Does he have an open mind? I am not thinking of SG alone when I write this. SG is part of the issue, the broader concern is Indian cricket in the mid term.

I think we will only know over a period of time.  Quite frankly, he has still only been caosh for a short period of time, and of course, we don't have much of a honeymoon period in India, if at all.  I have always maintained that an apprpriate assessment can only be made once this team returns from the West Indies.

[CLR James]

I would however be interested in knowing what he means when he says that players have to be 'better persons'?

[kban1]

1) Did anyone else notice a sense of biting sarcasm in some of the comments he made with regard to bowling coaches and bowling fast ?

I quote the relevant sections (emphasis mine)

Bowling coach: Does India need one?

"No, we do not need a bowling coach. We have got hundreds of bowling coaches. We have got Michael Holding on television who tells us everything that we have to do. We have Imran Khan on television everyday telling us what we have to do."

Is he worried by the drop in pace of Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan?

"Some bowlers start their careers as medium pacers and they finish up as fast bowlers like Imran Khan did. You have got others who start as fast bowlers but finish up as medium fast bowlers like Richard Hadlee. You have got other bowlers like Kapil Dev who were swing bowlers who bowled at 130 kmph. They got hundreds of wickets in Test cricket.

"I am not sure Pathan has dropped that much pace -- he still bowls 136 or 137 kmph from time to time. In Zimbabwe a few months ago he bowled in high 130s."

"He is a young man who is developing. There has been way too much emotion and energy devoted to this particular subject. There are not many cricketers in the history of the game at 21 years of age who have got the record Pathan has got. Let us accept he is not a fast bowler. Once we accept that we might not have all this emotional claptrap that goes on about Pathan."

It seems to me he is quite irked by the ongoing discussions about the Indian pacers and their technical analysis by former players. A lot of those analyses did seem reasonable and it may have rubbed GC the wrong way. he obviously has cricketing acumen and maybe thats why it struck a personal chord with him.

Incidentally, a couple of days ago, there were reports abt the Indian players plus coach being at a function where Sarfraz nawaz was present. And this is where GC actually took several of the Indian bowlers, introduced them to Sarfraj, and then requested the latter to provide tips and advice to the Indian pace brigade. To me this indicates at least on some level a realization that these guys may benefit from expert advice.

Which then begs the question that the interviewer asked -- Do we need a bowling coach ? Maybe GC is leaning that way but is irked at all the media speculation. or maybe he isn't, in which case this action of asking Sarfraj for tips is perplexing. Either way, would have preferred a more calm and reasoned response from him.



2)As far as the SG question, in generic terms the response boils back down to attitude (see quote below, again emphasis mine)

It is actually up to each individual to either select themselves in or select themselves out, and that will be by performance, by their attitude, by their ability to fit into all the criteria that are needed to be a Test cricketer or a one-day international player.

"It has less to do with the runs made and wickets taken. It has to do with having everything that makes up the individual who blends into a group that can be a successful team. It has a lot to do with individuals and their commitment to getting better as a person, getting better as player. It is not just about batting or bowling; fielding is a very important part of it.

"Then there is attitude -- your attitude towards the team, towards your team mates. There is a checklist of about ten points each individual needs to be able to meet to fit into the future of the Indian cricket."

In other words, is it up to Gunguly?

"It is up to all of us. It is up to any individual who is playing cricket to display qualities that are necessary to meet the requirements of a successful team".

Again, having followed cricket for such a long time, and having observed SG's contribution towards developing this team, nurturing the youngsters and encouraging them for years, i find the innumerable references to attitude a little disturbing and well out of sync with logic.

Even if we accept that SG's complacency about his fielding and fitness routines or his inability / unwillingness to concentrate on his batting was present during the latter part of his tenure as captain, shouldn't this be a thing of the past ? Visual evidence plus numerous reports have indicated that the jolt that SG got has indeed transformed him into a motivated and determined individual, one who is willing to work on his batting, his fielding, and his fitness.

Should we still harp back to the dark phase (if it did exist) while judging the present ?

This is the part about GC that i do not get. For all his knowledge and acumen, how can it be that he is so stuck on a notion (even if the, then events supported that notion at that point in time) that has been and continues to be refuted by subsquent events ?

I wish the Indian team all the best but the only way this team will reach the top is if GC and SG really bury the hatchet. Look at us and compare to Pakistan. We have gone from an united team to one of cliques, groups, and conspiratorial silence where as another team, long known for its acrimonious infighting, has gone from a fractured unit to an united one.

SG at least has tried to bury the hatchet, some will argue he was forced to do so for the sake of furthering his professional life. Either way, GC has won the battle of egos  -- Will GC follow suit ? Its high time, IMHO.

GC has a choice here --to be an enabler like Woolmer (remember Shoaib) or a divider -- and his decision will determine his legacy as a coach. After all we are all judged by posterity.

Will the real GC please stand up ??

[gouravk]

You want GC to not be just a coach but a diplomat !! 

[kban1]

gouravk:

Seems like he has gotten all the other ones in his portfolio

coach, player, captain (went out to toss), selector, disciplinarian, dietician, and most recently manager.

Another feather in his illustrious cap would be a diplomat. Now, if he leaves De Bono's record in the dust, surely you will not grudge him that honor. 

[Sahir]

kban,
The fast bowler talk is very tongue in cheek, indeed.  I think what Chappell is getting at is that often people just assume commentators are correct, while the players and coaches are wrong.  For example, commentators often make remarks about how poor the field placings are, etc.  That is a subjective thing, and quite frankly, some of the commentators were really not very successful captains and were not exactly known to have great cricketing brains during their careers.  Yet, they have the mike.  The captain and coach really do not get to respond at the time.  You and I can always take the comments and filter them, but we both know that most do not.  Most almost always assume that if Dean Jones has said something on air, it must be true.  What are Chappell and Dravid doing?

[gouravk]

Oh I absolutely agree with you Sahir. I think there should be a practice where coaches actually get a chance to respond to allegations made by commentators at the end of the day so that this impression that commentators are very intelligent and coaches are fools is corrected.

[kban1]

Sahir:

Quite.

It is tongue in cheek and in a way funny too. A part of me did appreciate the sense of humor but in light of the shambles our bowling is in, i thought the questioner had a legit query and GC could have provided a reasonable response.

It makes for a more convincing argument and elucidiates GC's vision if he provides a coherent response. The media and the general populace does not take well to pithy responses and repartee, and the sarcasm in his comment might well provide more fodder for the cannon.

[Sahir]

Sahir:

Quite.

It is tongue in cheek and in a way funny too. A part of me did appreciate the sense of humor but in light of the shambles our bowling is in, i thought the questioner had a legit query and he GC could have provided a reasonable response.

It makes for a more convincing argument and elucidiates GC's vision if he provides a coherent response. The media and the general populace does not take well to pithy responses and repartee, and the sarcasm in his comment might well provide more fodder for the cannon.

You're right-- but I think GC has gone on record before saying that a bowling coach is not needed, but various bowling consultants can be used that have expertise in perticular conditions.  I reckon that may have been part of going to Sarfraz-- possibly discussing reverse-swing in Pakistan?  Unfortunately, bottle-top openers can no longer be used.

[kban1]

Unfortunately, bottle-top openers can no longer be used.

 

PS: sarfraj, the canny fox did not divulge reverse swing secrets to the Indian pacers. He said lets get the basics right, reverse swing can come later. By later, I assume, after the pak series ?? We dont play Pak for another 2 yrs, if memory serves me correctly.

[feverpitch]

It has less to do with the runs made and wickets taken. It has to do with having everything that makes up the individual who blends into a group that can be a successful team.

Jawohl, Mein Fuhrer!

[MockTurtle]

man, between Grumpy and Frumpy (his sidekick), every reporter is guaranteed an interview every day.
and what does he say?

"Some bowlers start their careers as medium pacers and they finish up as fast bowlers like Imran Khan did. You have got others who start as fast bowlers but finish up as medium fast bowlers like Richard Hadlee. You have got other bowlers like Kapil Dev who were swing bowlers who bowled at 130 kmph. They got hundreds of wickets in Test cricket.

"I am not sure Pathan has dropped that much pace -- he still bowls 136 or 137 kmph from time to time. In Zimbabwe a few months ago he bowled in high 130s."


yes, Grumpy, we hear ya. but you see, the problem here is a medium pacer turning a fast-walker. you see the difference? and since when did things that people achieved in the past, esp. in Zimbabwe matter to you?


"I do not have worries as such. I have some focuses. There are some areas we need to develop such as our batting, bowling and fielding, our flexibility, our ability to handle all types of situations that can come up on the field during a cricket match. If we keep developing in all these areas we will be a competitive team that will have a chance to win the World Cup. If we can get to semi-finals anyone can win from that point."[/i]

These are SOME areas? okay, gotcha.


["It has less to do with the runs made and wickets taken. It has to do with having everything that makes up the individual who blends into a group that can be a successful team. It has a lot to do with individuals and their commitment to getting better as a person, getting better as player. It is not just about batting or bowling; fielding is a very important part of it.

"Then there is attitude -- your attitude towards the team, towards your team mates. There is a checklist of about ten points each individual needs to be able to meet to fit into the future of the Indian cricket."


better as a PERSON? how do you measure that, Grumpy? serve you tea every day and massage your tired legs? Or the amount they donate as charity? or their ability to say "yes, master" at the slightest curl of your mouth? pray explain!

[Blwe_torch]

GC has a choice here --to be an enabler like Woolmer (remember Shoaib) or a divider -- and his decision will determine his legacy as a coach. After all we are all judged by posterity.

Will the real GC please stand up ??

Very well written, kban1.
Frankly speaking, Chappel is right in a way that you need to be a better person if you want to succeed as a player or a coach.
SG has given enough evidence on the aftermath of his tussle with GC, that he is a better person. What about GC himself? How does he fit in?
Has he shown any indication that he is trying to improve as a person? He is still giving priority to his personal vendatta. Why is he setting multiple standards for himself, for players of his liking and for players he dislikes?

[Blwe_torch]

better as a PERSON? how do you measure that, Grumpy? serve you tea every day and massage your tired legs? Or the amount they donate as charity? or their ability to say "yes, master" at the slightest curl of your mouth? pray explain!

It is high time Grumpy starts improving as a person himself, lest he gets side-lined real soon!

[Blwe_torch]

You want GC to not be just a coach but a diplomat !! 

He has been more of other things and less of a coach...frankly speaking.
We would certainly expect him to be a full-time coach and not a cricket administrator cum selector, et al.
Our batsmen have scored the runs....that was the bare minimum expected of them.
It is plain juvenile to attribute their scoring runs to GC , who has done nothing to enhance their skills.
I am not even sure, whether he is capable of enhancing their skills at all!

[arjun]

Most of the responses in this thread show some uneasiness with GC and how his mind functions. That is precisely the point I was trying to make. The sarcasms in his interview are okay; he was responding indirectly to others' criticism here, and he has a right to offer his point of view. But his treatment of SG so far reveals a dark side of his persona which is quite disturbing. His ego seems to get better of his judgment as a coach. If petty peeves come in the way of selecting the best eleven, it can only hurt the cause of team India.

[gouravk]

And treatment of SG is the sole criterion for judging any person in any field isnt it ?

[Blwe_torch]

And treatment of SG is the sole criterion for judging any person in any field isnt it ?

not just SG....HS, ZK, VS.....VVS...and a few others too.

[Blwe_torch]

His ego seems to get better of his judgment as a coach. If petty peeves come in the way of selecting the best eleven, it can only hurt the cause of team India.

Well said!

[sudzz]

And treatment of SG is the sole criterion for judging any person in any field isnt it ?

It is not about treatemen of SG in particular, it is the attitude shown toward treating any individual. There are two approaches that one can take

1. Be constructive about and take some drastic steps in a very professional manner with the end objective being making the player "A Better Person" to use his own words

2. Be clumsy and political about it and let your own ego get the better of you and go about the same task in a manner which seeks to or seemingly appears to destroy a persons career (to what end I dont know).

This is clearly reflection of his mindset.

I also feel there are two types of coaches ones who take over and build on whats has been created and others who destroy the old edifice and create one of their own. GC is in the latter group but unfortunately for us and for him it is just too close to the World Cup for his changes to really fructify.

[arjun]

And treatment of SG is the sole criterion for judging any person in any field isnt it ?

I am afraid you have not followed my posts. It's not about the SG issue being the sole criterion. It is an issue that has come to the fore and we have not seen any indication so far to suggest that GC can overcome his ego for the greater interest of the team he is coaching. It shows a lack of balance in his persona which is disturbing.

[Libran]

And treatment of SG is the sole criterion for judging any person in any field isnt it ?

U may find it difficult to accept. But,the persona of SG is such 

[sudzz]

And treatment of SG is the sole criterion for judging any person in any field isnt it ?

I am afraid you have not followed my posts. It's not about the SG issue being the sole criterion. It is an issue that has come to the fore and we have not seen any indication so far to suggest that GC can overcome his ego for the greater interest of the team he is coaching. It shows a lack of balance in his persona which is disturbing.

Very well written Arjun

Gourav, the point is what GC can do/needs to do v/s what is he really doing. Dropping or selecting SG or anyone is incidental to the whole process. Like they say in advertising God is in the details and here as well it is the detail that we are questioning.

[gouravk]

As I see
What GC can do/needs to do - Win as much for India as possible
What GC is doing - ODI series 2 wins, 1 draw
                                   Test series 1 win, 1 loss

Not perfect but not too bad either.

[Blwe_torch]

As I see
What GC can do/needs to do - Win as much for India as possible
What GC is doing - ODI series 2 wins, 1 draw
                                   Test series 1 win, 1 loss

Not perfect but not too bad either.

Not too bad!?...not at the cost that he has extracted!

[gouravk]

So you basically expected india to win every series ?

[Blwe_torch]

yes....certainly...after the cost India had to pay...by way of throwing out Ganguly.

[gouravk]

well what a mature and sensible comment that is

[Blwe_torch]

never mind that!
passion and maturity are on different planes..

[dhruvdeepak]

let him rant on and on about GC deserving no credit man. it falls on deaf ears when the team is winning.
All of the below is purely coincidental:

India's fielding suddenly transforming. Top notch unit, excellent in the 30m ring.

Sachin reverting to bowling medium pace after many many years. Going for less runs. Will wait and see how useful this is in future games

Yuvraj batting beautifully, more fluently, more intelligently. He's more balanced, is better on the on side, and is finishing games. No more signature-yuvi-inconsistency that used to frustrate the hell out of me

Dhoni becoming more than a big hitter a la Razzaq or Afridi. He has become the perfect finisher. Coming in at a multitude of roles has allowed him big scores at the top of the order as well. At the moment his batting is on a par with Andrew Symonds

Pathan's batting. How many 50s has he scored in the recent past? Definite transformation, tightening up of technique, better thinking when batting.

RP Singh has become a top choice for 3rd seamer (in ODIs. still dont think he's ready for Tests). Ahead of the likes of Zak and even Agarkar in my books. Excellent find.

More attacking and innovative captaincy in the middle overs. Field comes in, the dab to 3rd man gets blocked, all good ideas. More credit to RD for knowing how to use these, of course.

feel free to add to the list of coincidental improvements in the indian team.

[keep-it-cool]

well, we say he's not been constructive ... has he not??? I mean, he was the one who bit the bullet and told ganguly that he was not playing well enough to deserve a place in the team. Is that a coach's job - YES, it is!!!! Remember, he did it in the confines of the dressing room.

What did SG do? The first opportunity he got, went to town with the story ... got it on the front pages of all newspapers. Is that what you expect a captain to do??? NOOOOO, DEFINITELY NOT.
So, in a way, this event is what deepened the crisis - what prevented what could otherwise have been a constructive and necessary exercise from going anywhere ....

And, I do not see anything wrong in the way GC has treated HS, ZK, VS or VVS ... they are continuing to play the same roles that they played before he came on board ... GC has always been full of praise for VS; has in fact gone out of the way to support him during his failures by branding him as a very important "impact player" ... HS was persisted with all the way till he got injured ... VVS continues to be an automatic selection for test matches as before ... ZK is dropped for entirely valid reasons; we all saw him bowl and I am sure there is no doubt on that ... and remember, his decline also started long before GC came on board .. we all heard him pronounce "the pak tour will be mine" and go on to do virtually nothing in the JW era

And, I remember innumerable posts out here which accused GC of wanting to get rid of Yuvraj as well - now that he has been encouraged, helped to grow as a player and made vice captain of the team, that name is very conveniently dropped from the list of "targets". Selective amnesia, anyone!!!

I mean what would you rather have a coach do - play along with a captain who wants to come 5 down in an ODI because the ball is swinging or one who makes sure that those who are willing to take up the gauntlet when required are preferred to others???

[Blwe_torch]

BTW...am I the only guy ranting?
just curious!

[gouravk]

btw ridding india of the abject captaincy ganguly showed in his last few days and handing over the mantle in the capable hands of dravid is GCs greatest contri IMO

[justforkix]

As I see
What GC can do/needs to do - Win as much for India as possible
What GC is doing - ODI series 2 wins, 1 draw
                                   Test series 1 win, 1 loss

Not perfect but not too bad either.

So, the SL tri series and Zim tri series doesen't count 

so it is either 2-1-1 or 2-1-2 in terms of W-D-L ODI series depending on if you want to count GC-RD combine or GC alone.

[gouravk]

i want to count the GC-RD combine that too when RD became a full time leader

[Blwe_torch]

btw ridding india of the abject captaincy ganguly showed in his last few days and handing over the mantle in the capable hands of dravid is GCs greatest contri IMO

OK...I admit.......but he must show equivalent results.......I am not satisfied with what he has shown upto now.
This is only my pers opinion....the results shown are not on par with the price extracted in termsof money, SG's fan following, disturbing the team morale, etc

[Blwe_torch]

GC has saved himself by atleast wining the ODI series.

[gouravk]

you were already very explicit in your expectations. you expect india to win every series. i got it.