Cricket Coaching
A 56-year-old Australian legend will guide Indian cricket"s destiny for two year"s leading to the World Cup in West Indies.
Adelaide born Gregory Stephen Chappell, known as Greg Chappell, is the unanimous choice of the selection panel formed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The panel had BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra, his predecessor Jagmohan Dalmia and former Indian cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and S Venkataraghavan.
The names considered by the panel included former Indian cricketer Mohinder Amarnath, who once called the Indian selectors a "bunch of fools"", former West Indian opener Desmond Haynes and Aussie Tom Moody.
The right-handed Aussie legend comes with his vast experience as a cricketer for teams including Australia, Queensland, Somerset and South Australia.
Greg Chappell has played 85 tests and scored 7110 runs, with a enviable average of 53.86. He has hit 24 tons.
In the 74 one dayers he has played, Chappel has scored 2331 runs, with an average of 40.18.
Chappel, who was the Wisden cricketer of the year in 1973, is known as a no-nonsense cricketing brain, with a brilliant eye for minute details which turn the course of the modern day game.
By selecting Chappell, the Indian cricketing to brass has indicated that it still counts Australia as the stumbling block in its professed aim of bringing back the World Cup. The next World Cup is in West Indies in 2007.
Chappell"s selection is also a solace to beleaguered skipper Saurav Ganguly, who has been having a rough patch for a long time. Being a master strategist and an able technician with the bat, Chappell would be expected to fix Ganguly"s technical flaws.
Though Chappell"s term"s and conditions as the coach would be similar to that of his predecessor John Wright, it is still not known how much free hand the BCCI is willing to give him, especially in matters regarding the selection of the final eleven.
John Wright had rued in his swan song that he did not have a say in the selection process.
But Chappell"s selection has thrown up another issue. India"s present woes have been mostly related to their bowling department and analysts are wary of Chappell"s prowess to fix the issue, since he is basically a right hand bat, though he has had some success with the ball too. In 87 Tests he played Chappel has taken 47 wickets and in ODI"s he has taken 72 wickets.
But people who believe that the bowling department needs a specialist coach has already started clamouring for one. The BCCI has left the issue open. It may appoint a bowling coach, it is reliably learnt.
Chappell was considered for the hot seat earlier also, but remunaration package became the bone of contention between the BCCI and Chappell then, paving the way for Wright"s accession.
But now, BCCI just wants the right man and money is not at all a hassle for the country"s richest sports body.
So Greg Chappell, who scored a century in his first and last tests, takes over the destiny of Indian cricket probably by the first week of June itself, when the monsoon usually arrives in the country"s south western side.
The legendary Aussie may have landed a coveted job, but giant odds confront him in the hot seat of glory.