July 08, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 22, 1428

MELBOURNE, July 7: Greg Chappell, who coached India for two years before resigning in the wake of the World Cup debacle, has questioned the schedule that gives the Indians just one warm-up game before the Boxing Day Test against Australia later this year.

India drew their last series in Australia, but Chappell believes their chances of equalling that feat or better it will be hampered by lack of preparation on hard and bouncy pitches.

Chappell, who is now a part-time consultant with Australian cricket's Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, has been a critic of tour schedules that give visiting teams little chance to acclimatise.

“The more time you've got the better, but programmes in modern cricket just don't allow for it and international cricketers are used to it,” said Chappell, in conversation with The Age. “If you had a month and you could play four games, that would be perfect, but the modern programmes don't allow for it.”—Agencies