Gavaskar had opposed Chappell's selection: Sandeep Patil

NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was the only selection committee member who had opposed Greg Chappell's appointment as national coach, former India coach Sandeep Patil said on Monday.

 

Former India Test player Patil told a news channel that Gavaskar, under whose captaincy he made his Test debut in 1980, was the only member of the high-profile six-member panel that interviewed and picked four candidates for the coach's job in May 2005 who opposed Chappell's appointment.

 

"Gavaskar was the only person who opposed his candidature. As per my information, he was the only one who opposed him," Patil told Wah Cricket programme on Star News.

 

Patil's contention questions the claim of former board president Ranbir Singh Mahendra who had announced to the media May 20 in New Delhi that Chappell's choice was "unanimous".

 

"It was a unanimous decision. His (Chappell's) contract will be for two years, until June 2007," Mahendra, who headed the interview panel, had told the packed press conference at Taj Palace hotel a day after the interviews were conducted at the same venue.

 

Besides Chappell, former Test players Mohinder Amarnath of India, Tom Moody of Australia and West Indies' Desmond Haynes were interviewed by the panel comprising Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, and former India captains Srinivas Venkatraghavan and Ravi Shastri, besides Mahendra and Gavaskar. BCCI secretary SK Nair was convenor of that committee.

 

Patil, who was India's coach for six tumultuous months in 1996, made the disclosure while discussing the alleged "experiments" of Chappell, following the first India-South Africa one-day international in Johannesburg was abandoned following rains Sunday night.

 

It was the second time Chappell had appeared for the post of the Indian team's coach. Earlier, John Wright of New Zealand had beaten him to land at the job in late 2000. In 2005, Chappell succeeded the former Kiwi captain.

 

Patil, while not hiding his reverence for Gavaskar, staunchly supported his former captain and said that he "100 percent agreed" with him that Chappell's fate would be decided on how India performs in the 2007 World Cup.

 

"I agree 100 percent with Gavaskar, who has seen my whole career (unfold)," said Patil, under whose stint Navjot Singh Sidhu walked off in the middle of the England tour in 1996.

 

Gavaskar, part of the Star Sports' television commentary team in Johannesburg, said Sunday night that Chappell's performance would be judged by the Indian team's performance in the World Cup in West Indies in March-April.

 

"No matter how India does here in South Africa, no matter how India does in the one-day series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka in January-February (in 2007) in India, Chappell will be judged by how the team performs in the World Cup," Gavaskar predicted.

 

Gavaskar said that Chappell would have to guide the team at least into the final, so that India matches its performance in the 2003 World Cup, if not winning the trophy outright.

 

Before the rain forced cancellation of the Johannesburg ODI Sunday, Shastri had interviewed Chappell, who massed 7,110 runs in 87 Tests at 53.86 and won 21 of the 48 Tests as Australia captain.

 

When Shastri asked about his alleged experiments within the team, Chappell reiterated that according to the opposition, situation and circumstances changes would be made leading up to the World Cup.

 

This issue of experiments formed the discussion of the commentary panel comprising Gavaskar, Shastri and Harsha Bhogle. Interestingly, the discussion was held even before a ball had been bowled in the five-match ODI series.

 

The second ODI will be played in Durban Wednesday. The two teams will also play three Tests.