Greg Chappell will be remembered as one of the greatest batsmen to have graced the game of cricket. His records speak for himself. He was looked up to by many upcoming cricketers not just in Australia, but all over the world.
However, India will remember Chappell as a 'villain' who ruined Sourav Ganguly's career. Many other senior cricketers maintain that the Australian "took Indian cricket backward" during his tenure. While they say they had a great time when John Wright and Gary Kirsten were in charge, they certainly detest Chappell. Now, even Sachin Tendulkar has come out in the open about Chappell's 'ringmaster' approach. On Monday, Tendulkar created ripples through his claims that Chappell wanted him to replace Rahul Dravid as captain. On Tuesday, Chappell denied these claims.
So, this leads to questions: whom do we trust? Who is telling the truth? Should Tendulkar be believed because whatever he says is the gospel truth? Why is Dravid shying away from taking sides?
Some of these questions may never be answered. Ganguly, who had made known his dislike for Chappell back in 2007, said he had informed the BCCI and the selection committee of Chappell's ways. dna tried to contact a couple of selectors who served during Chappell's time, but none wanted to comment.
Dilip Vengsarkar, who was chief selector between 2006 and 2008, said, "The thing is Sachin and Chappell had this conversation at his (Sachin's) place and I was not privy to it. It is not fair for me to comment."
Vengsarkar added that as a selector, he was "not part" of the team's think-tank. "So I cannot comment on what was happening in the dressing room. I was with Greg for only five months. After we lost the 207 World Cup, he resigned. My interaction with him was very limited. I don't want to get into it."
Another selector who did not want to be named said, "Nobody wanted to come out in the open. Now that they (players) have retired, they are opening up. With so much coming out, there must be some truth in what's being said about Chappell." He also echoed Vengsarkar, "We don't know much about the claims (by Tendulkar) coming after so long. For selection committee meetings, Chappell was called twice or thrice. We always take the coach's opinion. One day, he would one day say so and so is good. Another day, he would say the same player is a waste."
Indian fans may find it very difficult to give Chappell the benefit of doubt. Having achieved so much as a player, Chappell may have been misunderstood for his Australian style and way of speaking. In a conversation, what Chappell may have meant could have been misconstrued by the Indians. One would never know. But one thing seems certain, Chappell will think twice before he visits India ever again.
guru.krishnan@dnaindia.net
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