Chappell Wants Ganguly Out - Emails BCCI.

[Sanz]

I haven't read the whole thread, but has anyone picked up on a nice touch in the Chappell e-mail?

From one of the articles posted above :-

It may help if Chappell, committed to holding up an unforgiving mirror to the team, can also hold it up to himself and consider his management of men. Perhaps he could start by dropping the MBE.

 

[JustTool]

Best write-up by a real cricket lover

Just read this on another site. Perfect summary:

Postbox: September 27
Monday September 26 2005

A cricket365 reader reckons the captain's to blame

The rift between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell was waiting to happen.
Not without reason did John Wright part ways with a team he had moulded so well.

The players - that the media claims are supporting Ganguly - are only doing so because they would be languishing on the streets if most of them had been assessed on their performance and not their friendship with the captain.

A bowler who has failed time and again in finals is probably the one responsible for India not having the World Cup. Two very good fielders who think batting is an additional responsibility. A dashing batsman that scores once in 10 matches. A chucker who is miles away in class from the masterly Anil Kumble at whose expense he plays.

All these back a Skipper that has not got a one-day international 50 since the World Cup. Who after more than a decade in international cricket is poorer than the Gully cricketers in facing the short pitched balls.

The skipper misses the exercise regime, does not report to the conditioning camps, arrives just in time for departure, is the poorest fielder in world cricket, and gets run-out by not getting to the crease for the fear of the ball hitting him.

Give me a break. The matches are all telecast and we have all seen it. I've been watching cricket for the last two decades and playing it for the same number of years. Cricket, played for passion has been subdued. Now it's: cricket, the money generator.
Naren Kaushik

 

[C_C]

A lil side note ( as soemone pointed out on another website) :

I dont think that Chappell's email was a spur of the moment thing. One doesnt write a concise, 2000+ word email in the spur of the moment. i think this has been in the works for a while now and i am behind chappell on this issue more than ganguly.

 

[adharcric]

Just read this on another site. Perfect summary:

Postbox: September 27
Monday September 26 2005

A cricket365 reader reckons the captain's to blame

The rift between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell was waiting to happen.
Not without reason did John Wright part ways with a team he had moulded so well.

The players - that the media claims are supporting Ganguly - are only doing so because they would be languishing on the streets if most of them had been assessed on their performance and not their friendship with the captain.

A bowler who has failed time and again in finals is probably the one responsible for India not having the World Cup. Two very good fielders who think batting is an additional responsibility. A dashing batsman that scores once in 10 matches. A chucker who is miles away in class from the masterly Anil Kumble at whose expense he plays.

All these back a Skipper that has not got a one-day international 50 since the World Cup. Who after more than a decade in international cricket is poorer than the Gully cricketers in facing the short pitched balls.

The skipper misses the exercise regime, does not report to the conditioning camps, arrives just in time for departure, is the poorest fielder in world cricket, and gets run-out by not getting to the crease for the fear of the ball hitting him.

Give me a break. The matches are all telecast and we have all seen it. I've been watching cricket for the last two decades and playing it for the same number of years. Cricket, played for passion has been subdued. Now it's: cricket, the money generator.
Naren Kaushik

brilliant

 

[lionheart]

I don't know anything about Indian cricket, so forgive my ignorance but if Ganguly is dropped who would replace him as a batsmen?

 

[honestbharani]

Why not ? that is one of the challenges of coaching in India. Every Coach(indian or foreigner) goes/has gone through that. Hey big bucks dont come for free. If you think you are worth the astronomical amout you have demanded then show us your man-management skills, show your coaching skills.

John Wright did that successfully, didn't he ?

I am pretty sure when he took over, things were really not as bad as it is now.

 

[honestbharani]

I don't know anything about Indian cricket, so forgive my ignorance but if Ganguly is dropped who would replace him as a batsmen?

I am thinking even you and I could replace him, the way he is batting.



Juz kidding, but there are some promising youngsters around. Kaif would be first in the queue.

 

[Steulen]

I am thinking even you and I could replace him, the way he is batting.



Juz kidding, but there are some promising youngsters around. Kaif would be first in the queue.

Yeah, it would basically mean both Kaif and Yuvraj Singh get to play, instead of the two of them competing for one place.

 

[greg]

Just read this on another site. Perfect summary:

Postbox: September 27
Monday September 26 2005

A cricket365 reader reckons the captain's to blame

The rift between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell was waiting to happen.
Not without reason did John Wright part ways with a team he had moulded so well.

The players - that the media claims are supporting Ganguly - are only doing so because they would be languishing on the streets if most of them had been assessed on their performance and not their friendship with the captain.

A bowler who has failed time and again in finals is probably the one responsible for India not having the World Cup. Two very good fielders who think batting is an additional responsibility. A dashing batsman that scores once in 10 matches. A chucker who is miles away in class from the masterly Anil Kumble at whose expense he plays.

All these back a Skipper that has not got a one-day international 50 since the World Cup. Who after more than a decade in international cricket is poorer than the Gully cricketers in facing the short pitched balls.

The skipper misses the exercise regime, does not report to the conditioning camps, arrives just in time for departure, is the poorest fielder in world cricket, and gets run-out by not getting to the crease for the fear of the ball hitting him.

Give me a break. The matches are all telecast and we have all seen it. I've been watching cricket for the last two decades and playing it for the same number of years. Cricket, played for passion has been subdued. Now it's: cricket, the money generator.
Naren Kaushik

Now that people from India are coming out of the woodwork to call Harbhajan a chucker, can the rest of us join in the fun?

 

[Slow Love™]

September 26, 2005 (Rahul Bhattacharya)

A few points. It needs mentioning here that Greg Chappell, acknowledged thinker though he may be, has little to show for as coach. He took over South Australia in 1998-99, much like he did India, a messiah, in charge of a team that had tailed off after a high. The expectation in the state then was that he would do a Malcolm Blight, the Aussie Rules Hall of Famer who had just coached a mediocre Adelaide Crows outfit to a pair of premierships in his first two years. Quite to the contrary, Chappell's five years saw SA finishing fourth (out of six), fourth, last, fourth and fourth.

One SA journalist says that Chappell `helped develop several poor performers into handy ones but found it difficult to communicate well with the lesser players. His major battles came with the state's administrators and the conservative culture of SA. The relationship ended with both parties thinking they could have got more out of each other.' Another SA observer thought Chappell overly theoretical, unable perhaps to connect with the team, and half-jokingly described his tenure as `reign of terror'. Whatever, that South Australia won a championship under Chappell, as was mentioned in a few news reports in India either shows the sheer sloppiness of journalists or else indicates how enamoured they were of him.

...

Is it unreasonable to harbour mild scepticism of Chappell? Leave aside Ganguly, the noises emerging from a significant section of the team indicate that he has not been able to hit home with them. By introducing the coloured hats of Mr de Bono he can come across to players as much a ******** artist as enlightened guru; by expressing displeasure over players whistling or singing, as some have claimed, he risks being seen as an unbearable bore rather than a hard taskmaster. There is no telling yet if the Chappell way will work simply because there is no evidence of it.

According to Sambit Bal, this is (in the shrillest voice possible) "cynical at the best and a shameful abdication of moral values at the worst!!!!"

But anyhow, this article corresponds with a lot of my thoughts on the matter. Maybe (if Ganguly is removed, as he should be), Chappell will emerge as a success, but though I'm a huge fan of his as a player, I certainly have my doubts about his communication and coaching skills, and I'm a bit amazed at the savior-like stature he's regarded in by some quarters in India. Time will tell, I suppose.

BTW, this real-time coverage of the meeting in Mumbai at cricinfo is priceless....

 

[masterblaster]

Yeah, it would basically mean both Kaif and Yuvraj Singh get to play, instead of the two of them competing for one place.

That is until Sachin Tendulkar is fully fit and comes back. Ideally I think it's time for Ganguly's timely departure from this Indian side. Ideally I'd like a Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Kaif, Karthik batting order.

I don't blame Chappell at all and I do believe, the man has good intentions for Indian Cricket. If Ganguly falls well below International Standards for batting, bowling, fielding, attitude and fitness, then does it really make sense keeping him in the side?

That's what the BCCI should think about. It's entirely about his worth as a player, and I think he'd be better off commentating or being out there fishing. Although in India and in Indian Cricket, nothing is as straight forward as that. But sometimes one must keep a rather simplistic view on things, and this is one such case. If he's not good enough, then well, goodbye Mr Ganguly.

Thanks Sourav for everything, but nothing is forever. See you later...

 

[Shounak]

Now that people from India are coming out of the woodwork to call Harbhajan a chucker, can the rest of us join in the fun?

Yeah it is ridiculous.. So childish it just isn't funny...

Bhaji: I support Sourav Dada
Someone else: Shut up, You're a chucker

Along the lines of

 

[Steulen]

Just read the press conference statement on CricInfo. Lack of content defined. They basically allow the rot to continue. Crystal clear accusations from Chappell's e-mail are now 'miscommunication'.
Dalmiya gets it his way. Again.

 

[Sanz]

As always BCCI does nothing. Rediff is reporting that Chappell and Ganguly are asked to work together. It is simply ridiculous. Give all the powers to Chappell and sack Ganguly.

What is the point is having both after all this. How is Chappell going to work with players who he thinks aren't willing to learn under him ?

 

[Anil]

well...they are supposedly making performance the criteria and i can see this issue being drawn out and indian cricket in an even uglier mess in the upcoming months

 

[SJS]

i am not too sure about gavaskar...he was not above ruining a couple of promising careers, pulling a few favourites into the team, had frequent ego-clashes with the other superstar in the team, kapil....he might actually empathise with ganguly's situation...(please don't for a moment think that i am comparing them as players!)

You are absolutely spot on. In cricketing circles in India it is well known that Gavaskar is in Ganguly's corner (his feeble attempts at neutrality not withstanding) and Shastri in any camp oposed to Ganguly

Venkatraghvan is the only neutral amongst the three past captains.

Gavaskar has always been an establishment man and will never go against whosoever is the current boss be it in the BCCI or in ICC. So he will continue to enjoy his status and continue to chair committees irrespective of who becomes the boss.

One thing he is clearly against and always has been is a foreign coach. I suppose he would not like anyone other than himself to be telling Indian cricket what batting technique is all about

 

[Sanz]

This is the problem with Chappell, Why isn't he standing upto his belief now ? Why cant he say that it's either him or Ganguly ?

Guess who is being humiliated here - Coach

"some of the points with regard to injuries attributes to Ganguly: after hearing the concerned people, the committee came to the conclusion that there is some miscommunication and whatever has been stated is far from the truth."

Guess whose wings are trimmed here - Coach's

"We have demarcated the difference in roles between the captain and coach. We can't throw light on that. The captain has to control the game. The coach has to do his own job. "

 

[Sanz]

Steve Waugh on this mess :-

Bit of a shame for the game

STEVE WAUGH

Cricket often dominates the front pages of newspapers in India, but sadly for the wrong reasons of late. The Sourav Ganguly-Greg Chappell run-in has been a bit of a shame for the game in general and Indian cricket in particular. Both the coach and the captain are equally to blame for the current impasse because their conduct has been surprising and neither can be accused of being discreet and measured in their words and reactions.

The review committee that meets on Tuesday might try to work out a compromise, but I think that would be unrealistic. The spat has been too ugly, too public and too bitter, and therefore one of the two gentlemen at the helm of Indian cricket will have to leave. If the two are made to continue on the basis of an uneasy truce, they will take Indian cricket further down the road to disaster since the members of the team will be forced to side with either one or the other. In fact, signs of this polarisation are already emerging.

I remember being in India shortly before the Indian coach was being selected, and I was asked which candidate I would back. I had said Tom Moody at the time, but most people forget that I had added that Greg was not a bad option either. Greg has it in him to be a good mentor, and he also possesses a fine analytical cricket brain. Ironically, Sourav himself has been a beneficiary of Greg's immense knowledge of the game. Unfortunately, relations have only gone from bad to worse since then.

What generally happens in cricket is that when a coach and captain are appointed, they are made to sit together and decide the extent of power and control each of them will have in the team. A free, frank discussion between Sourav and Greg shortly after the latter was appointed would have helped both parties start off on a clean slate. I don't know whether that happened, but seeing the current finger-pointing it's unlikely such an exercise was undertaken. Much of all this is related to the trough that Sourav has been in for the last season. He has been in poor form of late and there are regular calls for his omission from the team. Apparently Greg told Sourav that each player has to move on at some time, but finally it's for the player to decide when.

Served well


If Sourav is considering retirement, he must first be honest to himself, and then he should consult those who know him best, perhaps his wife. I went out of the game in the nicest possible way, but I would still say that it is entirely Sourav's decision when he wants to give up the game. Sourav has served Indian cricket well, and deserves a fond farewell, and I hope he gets it.

Sports fans are fickle all over the world, and while Sourav's form is constantly a talking point, the public was happy to have him back at the helm, only because Rahul Dravid lost the final of a tri-series in Colombo. This is why decision-makers should guard against being swayed by public opinion. If India's selectors have a vision for 2007, then they have to take some tough decisions regarding players who they feel won't last the distance. Their counterparts in Australia made that difficult call when they decided to leave Matthew Hayden out of the one-day team.

Greg's brief is to produce a team that can have a realistic chance of winning the 2007 World Cup. It's part of his job to inculcate discipline and high standards of fitness. It is also his job to keep the board informed about the status of some players. Greg's integrity is above board and he has the best interests of Indian cricket in mind. Significantly, he has a long-term contract with the board, so it's unlikely that he will be shown the door.

There is never a dull moment in Indian cricket, but while the media are having plenty of fun with this soap opera situation, sanity must prevail soon. I hope the authorities in India don't *****foot around the problem because it needs firm handling, and tough decisions will need to be made.

http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/27/stories/2005092703462100.htm

 

[honestbharani]

Well, the only reason I believed something good would come out of this all was because I thought they won't be able to talk Chappell into such compromises. But, I guess I am just going to go back to the way I was back in 96-2000, when I never cared much about INdian cricket, because no matter the odd great win, I always knew India were a poor side because of the captain, coach and the administrators. Things are coming to a similar level now. Go England and West Indies.

 

[Sanz]

Well, the only reason I believed something good would come out of this all was because I thought they won't be able to talk Chappell into such compromises.

Well, I didn't really think that Chappell was going to stand up to the Board. One thing is clear - We must say goodbye to the World Cup 2007 now itself.

We must thank Mr. Dalmiya, Gavaskar, Shastri, Ganguly and Mr. Chappell for one full week of entertainment.