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[kban1]

http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/22/stories/2006022208572200.htm

`Pick players when they are ready'

S. Dinakar

Chappell reposes his faith in Dravid, Tendullkar and the young brigade 

Chennai: Greg Chappell reflected on the tour of Pakistan in Karachi. He is pleased that India bounced back in the ODIs and says the team's sights are trained on World Cup 2007. He shared his views with The Hindu on a variety of issues.

On him walking down the tough path:
"One thing I know for sure from experience is that some things work and some don't. I have only one agenda and that is help produce the best Indian team possible. It is not about any individual. I am sorry if I have offended some people but this is the only way I know. And you need to pick players when they are ready and you cannot miss the moment."

One moment he would pick from the Pakistan tour:
"This was after the close game in Peshawar that we lost. The practice session in Rawalpindi was pretty light-hearted. The way the boys responded to that and the energy around the place that day gave me great confidence. That was the moment when I thought this group has a bit of spirit."

On giving young players opportunities in different roles:
"You don't develop players by playing them in the nets. They have to be subjected to the heat of the battle in different roles. We are seeking balance, variation and flexibility. The bigger picture - World Cup 2007 - is down the road. We need to develop Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh as bowlers, get more bowling from Virender Sehwag, and continue using Tendulkar with the ball. Three of our bowlers can bat."

On achieving the right balance in the Test side:
"We cannot play against England expecting Rahul (Dravid) to be a stop-gap opener. It is not a long-term option and I think that cost us the Karachi Test."

Need for strike pacemen in Tests:
"In Tests we need to look at different bowlers for different conditions. History tells you that strike bowlers are important. We learnt a few lessons from the Karachi defeat."

On Tendulkar's outstanding display in the ODIs:
"He had the steely look in his eyes when he came out to bat in the second innings at Karachi. He counter-attacked Shoaib Akhtar but got out to a good delivery. I thought then that there were runs around the corner for Tendulkar. He is far from being a spent force. There is a need for the media to be balanced in its views."

On Ganguly's future with the Indian team:
"It is just a matter of getting the right balance and the right group of people together to give us our best chance. Whether Sourav is in the side or not will depend on a group of people."

On the metamorphosis in Yuvraj's batting:
"He is a gifted player. He has been on the fringes for a long time and probably his confidence had been damaged a bit along the way. We have obviously done some work with him on his mental approach to batting. Which, in turn, has contributed to his footwork and balance. But the biggest thing is having faith in him and letting him know that he is not on trial. Trust is a two-way street."

On Dhoni's evolution:
He is a precocious player. Dhoni's innings in Lahore, under those circumstances, was exceptional. Not just the physical aspect of it, but also the mental. He hits the ball in areas that normal players don't. So the field placements have to change."

On Dravid's captaincy:
Captaincy is a lot about confidence and intuition. You go with your gut instinct a lot. Some of his field placements and bowling changes have been excellent. His courage and leadership earns him great respect from the players.

The whiff of youth and R.P. Singh, Suresh Raina and S. Sreesanth:
R.P. Singh is a little bit quicker than most people expect and gets the odd ball to bounce a little bit more. Raina is an optimist. At this level, you don't need people who are expecting the worst. Sreesanth has bowled well and he added to the group.

On Irfan Pathan's bowling:
He is a swing bowler, a variety bowler. Physically, he is not designed to be a fast bowler. If we try to do that, we would destroy him.

[Teddy]

very good find!

very interesting, he says:

Pathan is a swing bowler, a variety bowler. Physically, he is not designed to be a fast bowler. If we try to do that, we would destroy him.

[feverpitch]

On the metamorphosis in Yuvraj's batting:
"He is a gifted player. He has been on the fringes for a long time and probably his confidence had been damaged a bit along the way. We have obviously done some work with him on his mental approach to batting. Which, in turn, has contributed to his footwork and balance. But the biggest thing is having faith in him and letting him know that he is not on trial. Trust is a two-way street."

I wonder what our pro-[GC/RD/India ... take ur pick] crowd would have to say about the character of someone who will probably go to his grave bad-mouthing SG. And these days our messiah even claims that he is helping our young cricketers 'build characters'.

[dextrous]

On the metamorphosis in Yuvraj's batting:
"He is a gifted player. He has been on the fringes for a long time and probably his confidence had been damaged a bit along the way. We have obviously done some work with him on his mental approach to batting. Which, in turn, has contributed to his footwork and balance. But the biggest thing is having faith in him and letting him know that he is not on trial. Trust is a two-way street."

I wonder what our pro-[GC/RD/India ... take ur pick] crowd would have to say about the character of someone who will probably go to his grave bad-mouthing SG. And these days our messiah even claims that he is helping our young cricketers 'build characters'.

didn't ganguly have an injury that chappel couldn't see even though the trainer could? doesn't sehwag pray more these days? isn't pathan a vegan now?

What more can you possibly want from a CRICKET coach?

Feverpitch, I must say you expect way too much!

[keep-it-cool]

On the metamorphosis in Yuvraj's batting:
"He is a gifted player. He has been on the fringes for a long time and probably his confidence had been damaged a bit along the way. We have obviously done some work with him on his mental approach to batting. Which, in turn, has contributed to his footwork and balance. But the biggest thing is having faith in him and letting him know that he is not on trial. Trust is a two-way street."

I wonder what our pro-[GC/RD/India ... take ur pick] crowd would have to say about the character of someone who will probably go to his grave bad-mouthing SG. And these days our messiah even claims that he is helping our young cricketers 'build characters'.

Will anyone out here deny that Yuvraj's confidence had been damaged along the way ...?? It most clearly was ... especially in the test matches!!!. How does that amount to bad mouthing SG??? Why do you think that this implies that SG damaged his confidence ...
My sense is that Yuvraj was not certain of his place in the team .. was shunted up and down the order .. made to open and then dropped ... obviously he did not know where he stood ... now with the confidence of being a regular in the side and, later on, vice captain .. he has obviously evolved ... that is exactly what the interview says ...

[feverpitch]

Look at how GC tries to imply that his perseverence with YS is all that matters in his evolution...As if SG and JW and for that matter YS himself matter little...

[proactive]

This is what is termed as the "Net credit Theory"

What it means is " Wherever one sniff's credit, throw the net and grab it"

Does not matter who did the job, the credit belongs to only one person 

[keep-it-cool]

Look at how GC tries to imply that his perseverence with YS is all that matters in his evolution...As if SG and JW and for that matter YS himself matter little...

We have obviously done some work with him on his mental approach to batting.

Note: We and not I ... besides, what do you want him to say: Oh, his dad has worked very hard throughout his childhood to get him in shape, then saurav and john wright worked a lot on his game, then we came and did some work on his mental approach to batting ... oh yes, and there were a few of his school and college coaches ....c'mon give these guys (GC, SG, RD etc) a break ... they just respond to questions as they are asked ... obviously GC will only comment on what work is currently on ... in fact, I think he has no business talking about the previous management simply because he is not in the know ...

[abhinav]

Look at how GC tries to imply that his perseverence with YS is all that matters in his evolution...As if SG and JW and for that matter YS himself matter little...

He has used the word 'WE' all through the interview..wonder how you are interpreting this as 'HIM' taking all the credit. He is speaking on behalf of the team management..which in all fairness is true. Yuvi has evolved significantly in the last few months..the credit for that must go to the people managing his performance currently. SG/JW must get the credit for identifying his credit and giving him plenty of opportunities to come good.

[Libran]

Look at how GC tries to imply that his perseverence with YS is all that matters in his evolution...As if SG and JW and for that matter YS himself matter little...

We have obviously done some work with him on his mental approach to batting.

Note: We and not I ... besides, what do you want him to say: Oh, his dad has worked very hard throughout his childhood to get him in shape, then saurav and john wright worked a lot on his game, then we came and did some work on his mental approach to batting ... oh yes, and there were a few of his school and college coaches ....c'mon give these guys (GC, SG, RD etc) a break ... they just respond to questions as they are asked ... obviously GC will only comment on what work is currently on ... in fact, I think he has no business talking about the previous management simply because he is not in the know ...

Was he not the one who went on record stating that he is not like JW to let things loose. If this is not talking about previous management, pray, tell me sir, what is ??

[keep-it-cool]

well, if he has indeed done that (and pardon my ignorance), then it is wrong ... but still does not make this particular statement wrong, unless anyone wants to twist it out of context

[Libran]

well, if he has indeed done that (and pardon my ignorance), then it is wrong ... but still does not make this particular statement wrong, unless anyone wants to twist it out of context

Wright takes a swipe at Chappell

Sydney, September 28
Former India coach John Wright, who has been has accused by his successor Greg Chappell of being soft in his handling of the team in the sensational e-mail to the BCCI, today slammed the former Australian captain for meddling in selection matters and throwing himself in such a situation so early in his tenure.

“Greg has only been in the job five months and at the moment it doesn’t look like (he and Ganguly) would go on holiday together,” said Wright, who served Indian cricket for almost five years.

“It looks like they’re having some teething problems at the moment and it will be interesting to see how it goes,” the former New Zealand skipper told ‘The Age’ in Melbourne where he is coaching the Rest of the World team for the Super Series against Australia.

“I always looked at it this way — the team was selected for me, whoever that was, with a captain, with a player. You didn’t get a vote on selection but my job was to ensure that as coach they were prepared and performed to the best of their ability,” he said, indirectly taking a swipe at Chappell’s observation that Indian captain as well as some of the players did not deserve to be in the team.
“It was almost like performance coaching and I hope we made some progress over the four years I was there.”

However, Wright said he hoped Chappell would succeed in taking the Indian team “a little bit further”.

“In any team situation there are always issues — sometimes personal, sometimes performance. You want Greg to come on and hopefully he’ll take it that little bit further,” the former New Zealand player said.

“He’ll obviously do it in his own style and that may be different from the methods I used. It’s a process,” he said.

Wright was speaking after an uneasy truce was brokered between Chappell and Ganguly following an unsavoury slanging match.

The New Zealander also said that during his stint there were times when his opinion was not always appreciated by the players.

“I’ve always tried to be very honest with the players (and) at times the players don’t appreciate that,” said Wright who helped India win series against Australia and Pakistan as also a final berth in the 2003 World Cup.

Wright said Indians were an extremely passionate lot when it came to cricket and that made coaching a challenging job.

“It’s a challenging job, a very passionate environment and all sorts of issues can arise, sometimes from nowhere.” — PTI

[keep-it-cool]

well, if he has indeed done that (and pardon my ignorance), then it is wrong ... but still does not make this particular statement wrong, unless anyone wants to twist it out of context

Wright takes a swipe at Chappell

Sydney, September 28
Former India coach John Wright, who has been has accused by his successor Greg Chappell of being soft in his handling of the team in the sensational e-mail to the BCCI, today slammed the former Australian captain for meddling in selection matters and throwing himself in such a situation so early in his tenure.

“Greg has only been in the job five months and at the moment it doesn’t look like (he and Ganguly) would go on holiday together,” said Wright, who served Indian cricket for almost five years.

“It looks like they’re having some teething problems at the moment and it will be interesting to see how it goes,” the former New Zealand skipper told ‘The Age’ in Melbourne where he is coaching the Rest of the World team for the Super Series against Australia.

“I always looked at it this way — the team was selected for me, whoever that was, with a captain, with a player. You didn’t get a vote on selection but my job was to ensure that as coach they were prepared and performed to the best of their ability,” he said, indirectly taking a swipe at Chappell’s observation that Indian captain as well as some of the players did not deserve to be in the team.
“It was almost like performance coaching and I hope we made some progress over the four years I was there.”

However, Wright said he hoped Chappell would succeed in taking the Indian team “a little bit further”.

“In any team situation there are always issues — sometimes personal, sometimes performance. You want Greg to come on and hopefully he’ll take it that little bit further,” the former New Zealand player said.

“He’ll obviously do it in his own style and that may be different from the methods I used. It’s a process,” he said.

Wright was speaking after an uneasy truce was brokered between Chappell and Ganguly following an unsavoury slanging match.

The New Zealander also said that during his stint there were times when his opinion was not always appreciated by the players.

“I’ve always tried to be very honest with the players (and) at times the players don’t appreciate that,” said Wright who helped India win series against Australia and Pakistan as also a final berth in the 2003 World Cup.

Wright said Indians were an extremely passionate lot when it came to cricket and that made coaching a challenging job.

“It’s a challenging job, a very passionate environment and all sorts of issues can arise, sometimes from nowhere.” — PTI

Ravi, this is slightly different, isn't it? It is not a public statement or document (although it turned out that way) ... this is just like if I take up a new job and find that the one I have taken it over from has not done things the way I feel they should have been done, I will bring it to the notice of my employers ... I will not go and talk to all my fellow employees about the same ...

Again, let me be explicit, I am not saying that JW did a bad job or that GC's view on JW's handling of the team is right ... I, personally being so far away from the team, have absolutely no way of knowing and do not want to go by conjecture.

But a confidentail email / conversation is different from a press statement ...

[Libran]

We can keep giving our reasons for these. Net net, they are just two sides of the same coin.Whether one goes public or sends a confidential email or sends SMS to friendly reporters....does it make a difference..

Some do it overtly...some are subtle or should I say cunning...

[keep-it-cool]

We can keep giving our reasons for these. Net net, they are just two sides of the same coin.Whether one goes public or sends a confidential email or sends SMS to friendly reporters....does it make a difference..

Some do it overtly...some are subtle or should I say cunning...

Of course it makes a difference ... you may crib about your father in law to your wife, but you will not go and talk to your neighbours about him ...

[Blwe_torch]

regarding father-in-law..you might as well go to the neighbours!....depending upon the gravity of the situetion though!

[achutank]

in father-in-law = police station.

but that's the only place where the complaints didn't go from either party. everywhere else complaints were registerd - press, tv, drssing room, BCCI, streets, bars, DGs and even parliament.

[Blwe_torch]

We can keep giving our reasons for these. Net net, they are just two sides of the same coin.Whether one goes public or sends a confidential email or sends SMS to friendly reporters....does it make a difference..

Some do it overtly...some are subtle or should I say cunning...

Of course it makes a difference ... you may crib about your father in law to your wife, but you will not go and talk to your neighbours about him ...

what an example!
gc reminds one of father-in law..though!

[keep-it-cool]

Ok, lets leave blood relations apart ... u complain about your boss to his boss ... not to the press or your competitors ...

[keep-it-cool]

We can keep giving our reasons for these. Net net, they are just two sides of the same coin.Whether one goes public or sends a confidential email or sends SMS to friendly reporters....does it make a difference..

Some do it overtly...some are subtle or should I say cunning...

Of course it makes a difference ... you may crib about your father in law to your wife, but you will not go and talk to your neighbours about him ...

what an example!
gc reminds one of father-in law..though!

or amitabh in deewar probably ... that guy must learn to smile a bit more ... unless there is an inability to smile due to bad breath / dry skin ... as some of our television ads would have us believe

[Blwe_torch]

no, no..it was a good example!
in a corporate set up ..even bosses are discussed freely..all across!