da dobrowin： On Sunday evening, India’s coach Greg Chappell addressed a news conference where he onceagain clarified that links with the Cricket Australia job were justspeculation.
Dileep Premachandran in Colombo19-Aug-2006
Greg Chappell: ‘I am confident that when the time is right, Mr [Sharad] Pawar (the boardpresident) and the BCCI will sit down with me and discuss my future’. © AFP
On Sunday evening, India’s coach Greg Chappell addressed a news conference where he onceagain clarified that links with the Cricket Australia job were justspeculation. “As you all are aware about stories floating in the mediaabout the Australian coaching job and CA, I would just like to say as Ihave said since accepting this position that coaching India is possiblycricket’s biggest challenge, and it is one I am enjoying tremendouslydespite the huge challenges and the expectations of a billioncricket-loving people.”There have been reports in the Australian media that he could be the man to coach Australia’s national team once John Buchanan’s successful tenure ends after the World Cup in May 2007. Chappell’s current contract with the Indian team also expires around the same time.”I am totally focussed on the job and am giving my blood, sweat and tears.I am fortunate and indeed grateful to receive the overwhelming affectionand love of the Indian public everyday, and I am also lucky to enjoy thetrust, loyalty and commitment of Team India and its wonderful leader,Rahul Dravid, whom I have the utmost respect for along with other legendsof the game like Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble,” Chappell said.”I am confident that when the time is right, Mr [Sharad] Pawar (the Boardpresident) and the BCCI will sit down with me and discuss my future. Ihave no further comment to make on this issue.”Chappell also spoke of how frustrating it had been to sit around andtwiddle thumbs while rain and events unrelated to cricket – the bomb blaston Monday that killed seven – spoilt any chances of play. “It’s beenfrustrating to spend eight days or more waiting for the rain to stop,” hesaid. “We had a few good sessions talking cricket with people who have hadsuccess in international cricket, talk about the way they prepare and goabout their cricket. It was also an opportunity for us to reflect onwhat’s happened and on what we are doing. Again, in busy schedules, thatalways doesn’t happen.”The guys have been terrific in that they have coped remarkably well.That’s one thing I have learnt about India, they cope with setbacks verywell. The boys have managed to keep themselves reasonably active and in apretty good state of mind.”This series should also have been Sachin Tendulkar’s return to the fold,after months out following surgery on his shoulder. “He would have lovedto have got there and got cracking,” said Chappell, when asked aboutTendulkar. “He managed to get a few deliveries in the partial match heplayed. He knows that there will be another day when he will get thechance before long. If there is a silver lining, it is that he gets a bitmore time to get stronger before he plays his first full official game.”According to Chappell, there was a chance that the team would leave forMalaysia and Singapore a little early, ahead of the tri-series featuringAustralia and West Indies that starts on September 12. He was skepticalabout the benefits of another camp. “The danger is that one camp afteranother is not necessarily better,” he said. “We have to be a littlecareful, and try to do something different from the Bangalore camp.”