The Hindu : Sport : `I do not mark players'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 07, 2005

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Sport

`I do not mark players'

S. Dinakar

The biggest part of coaching is observation, says the Indian coach

— FILE PHOTO: AP

Observation is the key word... Greg Chappell.

Chennai: Greg Chappell continues to be in the news. In a chat with The Hindu on Tuesday, India's cricket coach speaks from his heart about a demanding job that carries with it extreme responsibilities. Chappell maintains he will be ruled by the courage of his conviction.

To Sourav Ganguly joining the Indian squad for Tests, he has been the compassionate coach who has stretched out a welcoming arm. The showdown between him and the former Indian captain, he says, is a matter of the past.

"A lot of things have been blown out of proportion. We have moved on. The drama that surrounded the episode was much greater than actually was the case. He almost needed to go through this catharsis for his other side to come out, and for him to take stock of what he needed to do. The problems he had in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe were due to the fact that his mind was in the wrong place. Sourav has come back. He has indicated that he understands what he needs to do to be a part of this team, what his role is. One thing I have learnt about life is that forget the past, but do not forget the lesson you learn from it."

We are professionals

Chappell feels that both Ganguly and he were professionals keen on performing their job. "He wants to play cricket for India. I want to be a good coach. And I want to be the coach of a good Indian team. But for that to happen, you need to have the group that blends well.

"It's not about Sourav. It's about Indian cricket and how it goes forward. He is as much a part of the team as anyone else. The only thing that is important in this whole exercise is performance. And that's not just about making runs and taking wickets. It's about what you bring to the group, it is about adding to the group. It's the same with everybody."

Not for slanging match

On one of the recently deposed National selectors commenting that the clout wielded by Chappell over the Board was disturbing, he replied, "You just cannot respond to such things. They don't know me very well. All I can say is that the individual at the moment doesn't really understand what is going on. I don't want to get sidetracked. I don't want to get involved in a slanging match. He is frustrated that he lost a job which he obviously wanted to keep. I had no part in him losing his job, but he had to take it out on someone. One thing I have learnt in life is that you cannot please everyone all the time. It's all a part of the fabric of life."

The former Australian captain denied he pointed a finger at a group shouting anti-Chappell slogans in Kolkata while boarding the team bus. "It got blown out of proportion. I would never do a thing like that. It's part of the life we lead under the spotlight. We have to accept it."

Chappell maintains that he does not `mark' certain players for `death' as claimed by some. "I don't have that much clout. I have earned a certain amount of respect over the years, from my playing days. There are a lot of things I don't have control over.

Challenges everyday

Coaching he says is a job where there are challenges to be faced everyday, where differences are celebrated. "Different people challenge you in different ways. I don't expect to get on with everybody. From time to time as a coach, I might have to tell them things they might not like to hear.

It's about having the courage of my conviction to say what needs to be said knowing that it could well harm a relationship. If I have to do my job properly, I have to make the tough call from time to time. The biggest part of coaching is observation — observing what is happening, observing how people respond to different situations. Every situation is different and responses vary."

Greg Chappell, indeed, has a striking clarity of thought about the nature of his role and what he seeks from his players.

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