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| September 25, 2005 | Sunday | Sha'aban 20, 1426 |
Ganguly avoids Chappell’s questions
KOLKATA, Sept 24: India cricket captain Saurav Ganguly on Saturday refused to talk about his relationship with coach Greg Chappell after team arrived home from a tour to Zimbabwe. Chappell sent an e-mail to Indian board in which he claimed Ganguly is no longer the right man to be skipper.
“It’s a sensitive issue at the present moment. I don’t want to stir it up again,” Ganguly told newsmen at his residence here. “It’s important team does well, regardless of who leads it or coaches it,” he said.
“It is between the coach and me and we have to sort it out. I do not think rest of boys need to be pulled into this.”
According to Indian media, Chappell’s e-mail says Ganguly is no longer “physically or mentally fit” to be captain and has lost respect of some members of the team.
Ganguly will have a chance to make his views known on Tuesday when board meets to review the team’s performance.
“Chappell’s complaint, along with Ganguly’s side of the story, will be discussed at a meeting in Mumbai on September 27,” board secretary SK Nair as saying.
Ganguly chose to concentrate on on-field matters when team returned, looking ahead to a tough schedule over next few months.
“We will be playing Sri Lanka at home, then tour Pakistan and play England at home before going to West Indies. We have to take one series at a time.
“We need to play good, hard cricket as we will be facing very good teams,” he said. “It’s going to be tough and we need to get our act together.”
Ganguly earlier revealed he was asked to resign as skipper before first Test in Zimbabwe.
Chappell subsequently claimed although they had a “frank Discussion about Indian cricket, present and future”, he had been trying to motivate Ganguly after a run of poor form with the bat.
“I played well in Test series and was happy to get a hundred - and happy to win both matches convincingly. That’s what matters,” said Ganguly.
“I will explain every detail on what happened from day one to last day of series. Whatever is right or wrong will be conveyed to Board if it provides me with opportunity.”
Asked what prompted Chappell to make these remarks, he said, “I obviously don’t know why he has done this. I can’t stop Chappell from making comments. That is his point of view. I do what I think is right.”
Meanwhile, Ganguly hopes his team-mates are not dragged into the controversy over coach Greg Chappell’s bid to have him removed as captain.
“I don’t know about the team’s morale, but keep the team and the boys away from it,” he said on Saturday. “They are all aware but they all are in different, different situations and in different, different positions.”
“I think the best thing they should do is to keep quiet.”
Ganguly is under pressure after Chappell sent an e-mail to the Indian cricket board criticising him. Indian media said on Friday he had described Ganguly as unfit to lead any more.
The Indian players landed in Mumbai early on Saturday after their Test series victory over lowly Zimbabwe and straight into the storm raised by the captain-coach row. It was the team’s first test series victory outside the sub-continent since 1986.
Chappell did not travel with the players.
Ganguly was mobbed by the media at Mumbai and Kolkata airports over the issue which has been splashed on front pages and debated on television.
“I’m sure the board will ask for my point of view and I will explain every detail from day one till the last day of the tour,” Ganguly told reporters.
“Saurav has got a lot of things to say but only before the board.”
Cricket officials have said Chappell’s comments would be discussed at a committee which meets on Tuesday to review the team’s recent poor showing in one-dayers in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
“I cannot stop Greg Chappell from giving comments from his point of view,” Ganguly said. “I honestly don’t know why he has done this, why he has made such a comment.
“Whatever I say will be blown out of context and conclusions would be made. I don’t want to do that as the captain of the team.”
Ganguly, who has led the side since 2000 is India’s most successful Test captain with 21 wins.
The row broke during the first Test in Bulawayo last week after Ganguly, having hit his first Test hundred since November 2003, told the media that Chappell wanted him to sit out and play an in-from batsman.
Ganguly was criticised for breaching convention by making dressing room discussions public. Chappell then said he had intended only to motivate the player.—Reuters
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