Chandan Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Link New Delhi, March 1: We start the World Cup countdown with an exclusive chat with Greg Chappell. The Aussie legend talks to The Indian Express about Yuvraj?s comeback, Sourav?s role and a place in the final. Greg, will India win the World Cup? Let?s wait and see. I think we have enough talent to win the World Cup. But first, we need to make sure we get to the semi-finals because that gives us a chance to play in the final. And I think we have a chance to do that. It?s nice to know before we go that there is a good chance, if we play well, that we can reach the final. We do that, anything can happen. Teams, these days, go into big tournaments with motivational themes. Does India have one for the World Cup? Not really, I am not a big fan of themes. Yeah, the theme is to go out there and do our best. But we have been building a document and a team statement surrounding the World Cup since quite early during my time here. That will be what we will focus on, which is basically batting, bowling and fielding well! It?s not much more complicated than that, really. It?s quite a simple game and we have to keep it simple. The worst thing we can do is complicate it. Given the slow nature of some of the Caribbean tracks, will this be a low-scoring World Cup? And would that mean Advantage India? I think it?s going to be an even World Cup. And with the conditions as we saw there last year, they are going to be medium scores. Which means there will be a lot of close games. If we have one partnership here, or one partnership, one good fielding sequence, one good bowling spell, it can really make the difference. It?s going to be a lot of hard-fought games. I am not sure the wickets will be exactly as we saw them last year. They have got an extra 12 months to settle down. Well, I am not sure whether a low-scoring World Cup is going to be an advantage or a disadvantage, but I think we have got a team that should be suited to that. But yes, the venues will have a bearing, because each venue will have slightly different wickets, and that will have a bearing on how certain teams go. You might get lucky and find conditions that suit you, or you might just get unlucky. Which means the matches would essentially be decided in the crucial middle overs. Most teams have found it difficult to maintain momentum in the middle overs, let alone improve their momentum. Yes, the teams that bat best and bowl best in those middle overs will do well in the World Cup. But we are as well placed as anyone. Having Yuvraj (Singh) back makes a big difference. If Yuvraj can maintain his fitness, and the sort of form we saw in Vizag (96 not out vs Sri Lanka), he will have an important role to play in the middle. We have identified the players we need to bat in those middle overs, and by and large, the bowlers we need to bowl in those overs. But obviously, we will have to be flexible. We know pretty much what we have to do. We know how we want to play it. Now it?s a matter of doing it. But fielding in those middle overs will also be crucial. Isn?t that a concern for India? Fielding, we have always known is something we have to work on. We have been working on it, we will continue to work on it. We envisaged back in 2005 that the team that wins the World Cup would be a good fielding team. We are not going to be as athletic as one or two of the other teams. But we have shown in recent times that we can be an efficient fielding team. The important thing is we can?t afford to hurt ourselves in the field. At least, if we catch everything that comes our way, stop everything that comes our way, that?s what we got to aim for. What we can?t afford to do is give away 30 runs in the field because there are going to be a lot of close games in the World Cup. Talking of fielding, they call your team Dads Army, are you disappointed? Aw, I think that?s good if people want to underestimate us. If you look at it from the other perspective, we have got something like 1900 ODIs in our main group. There aren?t many other teams who could boast that. We have got nine guys, who have played in a World Cup final. That can?t be discounted either. I am not concerned, no. Other areas of concern, Irfan Pathan?s injury, Virender Sehwag?s form. Irfan?s been under a cloud due to a shoulder injury, but I don?t think that should be a problem once we get to the West Indies. It has taken a bit longer than expected. He should be alright. Sehwag, I think, is the only other area (of concern) and I think he should be ready to go... We know he is a good player. He has had a tough period over the last three years. Even in that period he has done some good work. We know what he is capable of, the opposition knows what he is capable of. That?s a factor that is advantageous to us. What we need now for him is to obviously find the World Cup is something that really motivates him and stimulates him to want to bring out the best. He is a big stage player and the World Cup is the biggest stage you can get. I just have a feeling from what I saw in Vizag is that he is ready to make an impact, that he is ready to show us what he?s got. Then there?s Sourav Ganguly?s amazing turnaround, he is now a key player in your team. Sourav coming back and doing so well is a bonus for us because it releases Sachin (Tendulkar) to play a different role in the middle order. He is a key player because he can do a job for us. We have found that against some teams, having a left-hander at the top of the order is an advantage. And his form has been excellent. We are hopeful and confident that he can keep that going through the World Cup for us. Because if he plays well, it will have a huge role to play in our success. But how do you see Sachin?s role as vice-captain. Usually, a vice-captain is someone you groom for the future. Look, I am not prepared to talk about it really. I don?t see it as a huge issue, one way or the other. He has been appointed. He plays a leadership role in the team, anyway. So being vice-captain doesn?t have a bearing in that regard. What happens after the World Cup is for after the World Cup. Looking back, leading up to the World Cup, India have tried over 30 players in the last 12 months. Is that a reason to worry? I think it?s a good sign. Out of the 30-odd players, a big percentage are good cricketers. The thing was, we were looking at all the options that we had, the different combinations. And that?s what happened. I think it?s a positive sign, and I am not concerned about. All it means is that two or three players can count themselves unlucky not to be there. It also says that we have some player whose development is going on, and there are some good cricketers waiting to go, including half a dozen or so who are already in the World Cup squad. When you look at people like Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, M S Dhoni, Pathan, Robin Uthappa and Dinesh Kaarthick, who are inside the squad, and people like Suresh Raina, V R V Singh and RP Singh knocking on the door, I think Indian cricket?s in good shape. As per your contract, this is your last assignment for India. I really haven?t thought past the World Cup. As far as I am concerned, this is another part of the assignment. Whether it is the last one or not, I haven?t really factored that in. I am just focused on getting to the World Cup and making sure that we prepare properly and do the best job we can. What happens after that is out of my control so there is no point worrying about it. ----------------------------------------------------------- A good and honest view in my opinion. Now it makes sense as to why Sachin was shifted to MO from the opening position. And I'd have loved if someone could have asked him about Kumble's role. Link to comment
Chandan Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share Posted March 1, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup This also kind of explains his comments that India has all the bases covered. Still, I can't think of one batsman who can play Sachin's role in the MO, not one player who can replace Zaheer in the death overs. Can you name those areas and their covers? Link to comment
Chandan Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup I found this interesting piece written by G Rajaraman in Outlook. Eleven = One The New Greg Mantra #Chappell stresses collective faith, team before individuals #Part of this strategy was dropping stars like Ganguly #Dravid, Tendulkar and selectors are roped in #The strategy is explained to players #BCCI lets think tank handle task And he goes on to explain how Chappell has worked with the the selectors and captain to put a process in place. I'll give you his bolg-link where he even discusses about these things. link Change is now a constant in the Indian cricket team's dressing room?and we are not talking about the tangle over the players' uniform for the forthcoming World Cup carnival. There is a certain change in the mindset of the top cricketers. Team India is gradually evolving out of the star system, laying emphasis on the maxim that the team is greater than a collection of superstars and star-aspirants. Individuals are no longer sacrosanct, they are but spokes in the wheel. Anyone who has been following the team's chequered recent past may not quite agree that the selectors, captain and coach have had a focused strategy. They might have missed the method to the apparent madness that made the squad look like a busy revolving door. Coach Greg Chappell comprehends that feeling quite well. "It isn't always that easy to read between the lines but we have had to take some chances along the way to develop young players and to push the seniors," he said. If there has been so little open criticism of the methods from within the group?and seeming endorsements, however reluctant they may be?it is only because the players themselves are quite aware of what was happening with the team. "Yes, we have kept them well informed," Chappell said. "They have not always been ecstatic about their role or about being left out from time to time, but they know we are trying to build depth and flexibility to cover any eventuality. We need to get to the point where we don't have to rely on 'brand names' all the time. It is slowly getting through and is building some confidence and trust of each other that was not evident when I took over." One of Chappell's key areas of focus was in getting the players to start believing in one another more than before?"collective faith" is what he called it. Perhaps the team needed to go through some manic upheavals to learn what it really is about. "Faith is not something that comes easily to Indian cricket teams. It is very much about the individual?and this gets reinforced often. It has been taught by many generations of seniors. I saw it when I played and it has carried on because it was very evident when I took over as coach. I discussed this with Rahul and Sachin who confirmed what it was like. Rahul realises that if he doesn't break the mould, it will go on for another generation. We have also encouraged the younger guys to speak up in team meetings and during games. (Dinesh) Kaarthick and Robin (Uthappa) are two who have the confidence to do so. Those who have been around longer still need some time." It does appear that the Board of Control for Cricket in India has left the task of team-building essentially to the selection committee and the team management. "Yes, we leave that to the right personnel," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said "We have always maintained that the team is of paramount importance but if a player is branded as a star, it is by the media and the public, not by the board. A star by himself is of no value if the team does not come together strongly and perform well. Even when it comes to awarding contracts to the players, we rely heavily on advice from the chairman of selectors, captain and coach." Former chairman of selectors Kiran More, who was part of the group that introduced the change, says it was important for India to recognise that the collective had to come first. "The team's performance was falling after the high of the maiden Test series win in 2004 in Pakistan, and some time after Greg took over as coach, we sat down with Rahul and chose a roadmap," More said. "We made some tough decisions along the way?like dropping Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan?but only with the intention of forging one solid team. It was not the easiest of things to do in this country and some players asked me hard questions. But it was really up to them to pull up their socks and come back with better fitness and an attitude that works for the team." More says this line of thinking was not easily understood by all players and some reacted to being dropped from the side as if it were a crime, or an affront to their stature in Indian cricket. "Beginning with the team and its players, if the message can percolate down to first-class sides and reach out to the media and fans, we would have done our bit for Indian cricket," he says. He also hopes that some of the acerbic criticism by some former stars would stop since they were unaware of what was happening within the selection committee. "It is important that this philosophy of team before self stays in Indian cricket long after the present lot fades away." Skipper Dravid, of course, has done much of the talking and explaining to the players. Never an easy task. It will be interesting to revisit what he had told me earlier this season. "What they (the affected players) want is to make decisions for the right reasons," he said. "All of them might not agree with every decision that you make. They are fine as long as they know you have made the decisions with the best interest of the team in mind and with some sort of reason to it. That is the only way I look at it." The coach himself is not looking too far ahead. "We just have to keep plugging away. Success at the World Cup will help," Chappell said. "If we can play as well in the World Cup as we did against Sri Lanka in Vishakhapatnam, we will do okay." Suggest to him that given the current competitive state of the top eight teams, a semi-final berth would be seen as success, and Chappell tells you that would only be equal to getting pass marks. And he is not only speaking for himself but for his bosses in BCCI too. Yet, irrespective of what happens at the World Cup, Chappell and Dravid along with the selectors will be remembered for their attempt to change the way players in Team India learnt to put the side before themselves; they will be remembered as the agents of change in a field of fossilised attitudes. ------------------------------------------------ Tell me what you think of this. Link to comment
Birbal3 Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup Change...is a constant... Yeah...that is why the team has 9 players and probably at least 8 of them STARTERS from 2003... What a load of BS...this experimentation gobbledegook that Greggy has everyone spouting... Link to comment
Chandan Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup Oh, so you mean players who played 4 years back, should be dropped no matter how good are they playing at present, without any reason? Do you even know what you're talking about? Link to comment
Birbal3 Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup No...and neither should they have been dropped for more than a short time to begin with... Zaheer Khan and Ganguly being in the team could have seen India do much better in the ICC Champions Trophy... Capice? Link to comment
Chandan Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup Not necessarily. Many of Ganguly's and Zaheer's fans were saying that they didn't deserve the chop at all. And it was equally necessary to see how the younger players took the resposibility in a multination tournament. It gave the selectors an idea about where the next generation was lacking (Kaif, Raina) and we also benefitted by unearthing Munaf, Sree, Dhoni etc. It is all a process and can't be left midway because it won't serve any purpose then! So? Link to comment
Birbal3 Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup So now the process is complete...? I see you've been addled just like the rest of them... Link to comment
Chandan Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup No. Process is never complete. But the road till the WC has been completed After that another will start when the search for new batters will go on as Sachin, Saurav, Dravid, Laxman etc can't last forever. And I didn't follow your second comment. Link to comment
Chaos Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup birbal u r pathetic. you hate everyone who hates ganguly. So get a life. i am tired of ur post in original ICF, please dont bring this again. Link to comment
gator Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup Greg does not get the credit he deserves. Just the way, Gangs rightfully get the credit for shaking up Indian cricket, bridging the junior-senior gap and introducing spine to the team... Greggie shook up the system.... He got the players out of their comfort zone.... Zak and Gangs are doing full justice to their potential.... Yuvi has atlast stamped his authority under GReggie tutelage... Yuvi was never so consistent inspite of 3 yrs under Gang.... Dhoni's blossoming was a great story... Sreesanth and Munaf, valuable additions and finds... THe only flop story has been Pathan and I would directly blame Greg for that, cos I do give credit for success... Link to comment
Birbal3 Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup mouni you are idiotic. I don't hate anyone...I just think Chappell is a Charlatan who has done nothing new... All the process was started under Wright and Ganguly...he has not even taken us a step forward... But he does have a smooth tongue.. That is good enough for you lot it seems... Link to comment
Holysmoke Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup mouni you are idiotic. I don't hate anyone...I just think Chappell is a Charlatan who has done nothing new... All the process was started under Wright and Ganguly...he has not even taken us a step forward... But he does have a smooth tongue.. That is good enough for you lot it seems... I feel after his dropping of Ganguly(and rightly so), you will never appreciate anything about the man. I say this after observing your posts for quite some time. Link to comment
Chandan Posted March 3, 2007 Author Share Posted March 3, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup mouni you are idiotic. I don't hate anyone...I just think Chappell is a Charlatan who has done nothing new... All the process was started under Wright and Ganguly...he has not even taken us a step forward... But he does have a smooth tongue.. That is good enough for you lot it seems... So you do not notice any process? Selectors and the board should sit idle till the great four batsman retire wiothout having anyone in sight for their replacement and let the team struggle for coming 4-5 years? You do not see any reason behind why Chawla was given a test match to play vs England? You do not see any reason behind why India needs to identify its 3rd and 4th spinner, 6th and 7th seamer, two middle order batsmen? Just Greg's smooth tongue is saying so and whatever we're seeing with our own eyes is not true? Just tell me, whats the harm in knowing how ready the next generation and and the spares are? And if they are found wanted, they are sent back to work on those weaknesses and areas in the domestic cricket? Link to comment
Vishwatma Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup interesting read...but i wonder why he's aiming for a SF birth first...if he wants to take it one step at a time then that shld be super 8 first then right? Link to comment
King Tendulkar Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup mouni you are idiotic. I don't hate anyone...I just think Chappell is a Charlatan who has done nothing new... All the process was started under Wright and Ganguly...he has not even taken us a step forward... But he does have a smooth tongue.. That is good enough for you lot it seems... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Link to comment
Chandan Posted March 4, 2007 Author Share Posted March 4, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup interesting read...but i wonder why he's aiming for a SF birth first...if he wants to take it one step at a time then that shld be super 8 first then right? Perhaps he thinks that there is no need to state that India will reach that as he is taking it as given! Over-confidence? I hope not! Link to comment
Dhondy Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup I see you've been addled just like the rest of them... So now it's you versus the world, is it, Gaurang? Glad you noticed the brainwashing, the mass indoctrination agenda dreamt up by the folks here. Eventually, the whole world will be Gregites, inshallah. Link to comment
Chandan Posted March 8, 2007 Author Share Posted March 8, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup Okay. So here is another interview of Chappell, a bit different from other in which Chappell has spoken on a particular theme without any interruption for 40 minutes. Theme is: 21-odd months previously, he had taken over as coach of the national cricket team, with the stated mission of preparing Team India for World Cup 2007. How much of that initial vision has been realized and how much not? What has worked, what has not? And, with just hours to go before the team leaves on its Carribbean campaign, how ready is the team for its assault on glory? PS: You can hear the audio as well. It is quite interesting! Link to comment
dial_100 Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Re: Greg Chappell's views on India's chances in this World Cup Yaar apnaa hi sikka khota hai to dusree ko kya dosh dee??? Thoda sa introspection to karna hi padega.. Just be honest guys. Do you think that they are paying to Greg and that he is BSing there? Dont be so out of your minds. Why do you think that these selectors and BCCI are so dumb that they wont understand Greg's intentions?? He is honest to his job. Thorough professional. It is entirely up to us to take advantage of what is offered. I dont think Greg has guts to bully Dravid, SRT and Gangs. They are too powerful to be dominated. They are very proud and sensitive people. So I think Greg has something that they are following him and enjoying the cricket. As long as it is going to support Indian Team I dont think these 3 will ever participate in anything stupid. I am sure Gangs sacrifice will pay Indian cricket long time to come but do not divert this to something else. Cheers Link to comment
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