The Indian media, short on active cricket reporting for a while, and seemingly disturbed by the intervening ennui, has suddenly gone on over-active gear on India's new cricket coach Greg Chappell. Everyday, we are given large doses of Chappell's platitudes and wisdom words, which are given such magnified large meanings in tantalizing headlines, that even the Prime Minister's Office handling pubic relations will get a major complex.
Come on guys, aren't we getting abjectly desperate for those standard banal quotes from the over-hyped coach which would cure long suffering insomniacs by giving them a verbal comatose shot? Some national newspapers are busy digging up "inside stories" on the kind of toilet paper that Chappell will use whether he stays in a residential building or a five-star abode; really, who cares? The media is either too overawed by Chappell's past reputation (he does have excellent credentials) or else we are demonstrating a highly mediocre, servile and slavish mentality. Give the guy a break, and the public too!.
And characteristically, Sachin Tendulkar-bashing is the best way for a cricket writer or a former retired cricketer or any sundry Tom, Harry and Dick to get some TRPs and much-needed visibility. The latest entrant to the elite club is Kapil Dev, who has made some equally daring forecasting in predicting Sachin's imminent decline from his dizzying standards of the past, and promptly garnered precious front page news elbowing other news out with casual contempt. Which brings me to the main point of this brief piece -- that Greg Chappell, perhaps, needs to get a crash course on understanding Indian sensibilities and our native cultural traditions before his further pronouncements.
Chappell, I think, was clearly shooting wildly from the hip when he said that Virender Sehwag should be groomed for future captaincy, in fact, alluding that he is next in line after the beleaguered Prince of Kolkata. Rest assured, there are many who found the suggestion rather premature and unwarranted. If there is anyone who is likely to replace Ganguly, and who deserves to be the Indian skipper, it is undoubtedly the impregnable fortress-like run machine called Rahul Dravid. And I do not foresee Rahul hanging up his boots at least two years after the World Cup, based on his current form and renewed appetite for runs. I think Chappell's comments can weaken team cohesion instead of grouping them altogether.
I also maintain that Chappell's early prognostications on Tendulkar's career have not gone down well with the great master. Chappell is clearly making tactless errors and creating fissures in the team even before the conditioning camp has begun. His comment that Tendulkar's injury is more for him (Sachin) to worry about than Chappell himself, manifests that Chappell is a clinically steely and methodical coach going by hard numbers and harsh realities. Fair enough, but these traits may not work with the Indian team, coming as they do from diverse social and economic backgrounds, and who are a fairly sensitive lot. It shows that Chappell has not fathomed that he could be alienating Tendulkar and maybe others with his repeated media statements, which has made him into a household name much like mosquito repellent brands, even before India's first match under his stewardship. .
In the meantime, it maybe would be a good idea that Chappell takes a few lessons in understanding the Indian mind-set and community sentiments. It will help him. Perhaps, he has forgotten how Sunil Gavaskar had reacted to adverse Australian comments on-field after that dubious lbw decision when facing Denis Lillee. And maybe, it is an opportune time for Chappell to give a few hard-nosed real life lessons and pep talk to Ricky Ponting and his boys instead.
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