The Final Nail In Chappell's Coffin
Rediff, via the Courier Mail, reports that Chappell has secretly "agreed" to not seek a renewal of his contract when it expires after the 2007 World Cup. There is no mention of how this information was obtained or who it was solicited from. For all we know, it may simply have been a clerk or office boy who overheard a conversation and decided to sell his story.
We really should not be surprised, however. The BCCI does not like anyone, other than it's own office bearers, causing controversies in the media. You would be a rich man/lady if you got a dollar for every online forum poster that seeks to re-christen Chappell as Gregory "Controversy" Chappell. Question being, does Chappell instigate the "controversies" or is he a victim in the media's quest to sensationalise the most mundane of stories, in order to sell one more newspaper? I would say the the answer lies somewhere in between, but, heavily skewed toward the latter.
An inclination to be at the center of controversies allied with a string of poor performances against the best (and sometimes the not so good) teams is bound to land a coach's future in turmoil. However, I ask you, has Chappell really done that bad?
The team has now been rejuvenated after the Ganguly-Wright partnership. New blood was brought in and allowed to fail, prosper and shine. The oft maligned use of experimentation has given some players the opportunity to display skills that we would never have otherwise known they possessed. We have seen the blossoming of our most prominent player over the last 3-5 years, Rahul Dravid, as both player and captain.
Sure, some results have not been to our liking. How much of that is due to Chappell's shortcomings and how much is due to the players' faults/deficiencies? A coach cannot spark a player back into form, just like a coach is not responsible for a player losing his form. Is it the coach's fault that a many of his key players are never in good form simultaneously? I don't know, you tell me.
Sorry for 20 questions, but last one: what happens if India wins the World Cup in the Caribbean? I dear say, that is a conundrum we would love to have.
Post a Comment