ICC

Greg Chappell: What they said, really meant and definitely did not

Greg Chappell Does Not Call It ‘A Clash Of Cultures’

What he said:

"The mistakes I made were not particularly ‘western’”.

Former India coach, Greg Chappell, ruminates on his failures with the Indian cricket team in his autobiography, “Fierce Focus”.

Chappell had a stormy tenure from 2005 to 2007 ending with the team’s first round exit at the 2007 ODI World Cup.

The Australian great regrets his tiff with icon Sachin Tendulkar when he insisted that the master bat revert to his No.4 position in ODIs.

Chappell wrote:

My biggest regret was falling out with Sachin over him batting at number four in the one-day team. It was a shame because he and I had some intense and beneficial talks together prior to that. My impatience to see improvement across the board was my undoing in the end.

Chappell elaborates:

The mistakes I made were not particularly ‘western’ but the same kind of mistakes I’d made as a captain in my playing days. I didn’t communicate my plans well enough to the senior players. I should have let guys like Tendulkar, (VVS) Laxman and (Virender) Sehwag know that although I was an agent of change, they were still part of our Test future.
When I did communicate with them, I was sometimes too abrupt. Once in South Africa, I called in Sachin and Sehwag to ask more of them, I could tell by the look on their faces that they were affronted.

Later (Rahul) Dravid, who was in the room, said ‘Greg, they’ve never been spoken to like that before’.

What he really meant:

“Autocrats are not an exclusively western phenomena, are they?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Change is a one-way process.”

Sanjay Manjrekar: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Sanjay Manjrekar Finds Test Centuries Easier To Get Than a No. 11

What he said:

“Courtney found it a little more difficult than me, but trust me Test centuries are not easy to get.”

Former India batsman, Sanjay Manjrekar, taking a playful dig at fellow commentator, Courtney Walsh, points out that Test tons are not facile.

Sachin Tendulkar missed out on his 100th international hundred once more in the first Test against West Indies at the Ferozeshah Kotla.

Tendulkar has not scored a ton in his last five Tests; he averages one in three.

What Manjrekar really meant:

“Courtney made it a lot more difficult—for most.”

What Manjrekar definitely didn’t:

“Courtney was the best night-watchman you could wish for.”

Martin Crowe: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Martin Crowe Scratches His 14 Year Itch

What he said:

“Well, people think I’m having a mid-life crisis. And I can only say ‘too right!’”

New Zealand’s finest batsman ever, Martin Crowe, returns to club cricket in his 50th year.

Crowe says:

“Call it a silly little selfish challenge, just like someone trying to run a marathon at 49. Well, I can’t do that because of my knees so I’m going to have a bit of fun with a bat in my hand again.”

Crowe terms his comeback “a long-shot experiment to see if a 50 year-old can still wield a bat.”

The Kiwi hopes to turn out for the MCC against English county champions Lancashire in Abu Dhabi next year.

“That game’s being played with a pink ball, which I’m a big supporter of as a member of the MCC World Committee, who have been driving the idea for three years. To be selected would make all the hard work worthwhile for me.”

Crowe feels up to fresh challenges:

“I was bored. When you reach 50, you’ve got to think about doing things to keep on top of your health. I was tired of the gym; I don’t swim, cycle, climb or run, so I thought ‘why not do something I love?’”

The maestro feels that he still retains the hand-eye co-ordination of his heyday.

Actually, I feel just as good as a batsman now. I’m playing late, playing straight and timing it. It’s just a case of how the body can cope with a long innings; the fatigue factor just kicks in a lot quicker.

But I had my hand-eye co-ordination and balance tested by the optometrist who did it back in 1992 and he’s found I’m 20 per cent faster than back then. I’m finishing every session with a smile on my face.

Here’s one cricketing great who has no complaints about the improvements in technology:

“Today’s equipment? Unbelievable. I dread to think of the damage that Ian Botham and Viv Richards would have done with them.”

What Martin Crowe really meant:

“Well, at least, I’m not spending it all on a sports car and a fresh wife (Crowe is married to former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes).Isn’t that customary? “

What Martin Crowe definitely didn’t:

Greg Chappell: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Greg Chappell Says That Aussie Cricketers Are ‘Hippier’ Than Their Indian Counterparts

What he said:

“It was so hierarchical, it made Australian teams look like commune.”

Former India coach, Greg Chappell reveals the bureaucratic nature of the Indian dressing room during his tenure.

Chappell, in his autobiography “Fierce Focus”, salutes current Indian skipper, MS Dhoni, as his “go to man” and the voice of young players.

The Australian maintains that the young players were overawed by their seniors and would not contribute in team meetings for fear of incurring their (seniors) displeasure.

“The real ray of hope for the Indian team was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of the most impressive young cricketers I’d ever worked with. He was smart, and able to read the game as perceptively as the best leaders," Chappell wrote.

Chappell said:

If I wanted to know what was going on in the middle, Dhoni became my go to man. He would eventually break down one of the biggest problems in the India teams.

…the youngster would say, ‘I can’t speak before so-and-so. If I speak up before a senior player, they will hold it against me forever.’ Some were petrified, flat out refusing to say a word in a meeting before, say, Tendulkar had spoken.

Chappell elaborates on his relationship with Saurav Ganguly, the stormy petrel of Indian cricket.

His idea was probably ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

He expected I would be so grateful to him for getting me the job that I’d become his henchman in his battle to remain captain. I, on the other hand, took on a job with the primary responsibility to Indian cricket and the Indian people.

There were a billion of them and only one of Sourav. I wanted to help India become the best cricket team in the world.

If that means eventually they could only become that team without Sourav, then so be it.

Chappell adds,that on the field, "there was no bigger panicker than Sourav."

Chappell is none-too-pleased with Indian players aversion to confrontation:

When I sat down and talked with him about it, he would agree to everything I asked, but then go his own way. Some other senior players were similarly expert at Gandhian passive resistance: saying ‘Yes yes yes’ before doing the exact opposite. Each time he agreed, then didn’t do it.

What Greg Chappell really meant:

“Indian bureaucracy was truly alive and kicking in the national cricket side.”

What Greg Chappell definitely didn’t:

“Now, you know why us Ozzies love visiting Goa.”

Waqar Younis: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Waqar Younis Calls On Shahid Afridi to Endorse ‘MouthShut.com’

What he said:

“It is time he just kept his mouth shut and focused on his cricket.”

Waqar Younis renews the war of words with Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

Afridi announced his comeback to international cricket following the exit of former PCB chairman, Ijaz Butt.

Afridi is a staunch critic of Butt and former coach Waqar Younis.

Younis was evidently responding to Afridi’s latest claim that Younis did not quit as team coach but was sacked by the PCB.

Waqar said:

All the time he is criticizing somebody and using distasteful language. It is time he just kept his mouth shut and focused on his cricket.
To me it seems as if he always on the lookout for cheap publicity by making unwarranted and unhealthy comments about somebody or someone.

The former fast bowler added:

For months now he has been criticizing Ijaz Butt and saying all sorts of things like Butt is old and he should go home, this is not the way to talk about a former player and head of the board. He has problems with everyone and wants the world to believe he is the victim.

Afridi, surprisingly, had no comment to make about Younis’ latest remarks:

“I don’t want to make any comments on Waqar has said. I just want to play cricket for my country.”

What Younis really meant:

“Afridi can’t bat and bowl with his mouth open, can he? The mouth should come into play while fielding—queries (and cricket balls).”

What Younis definitely didn’t:

“I’ll keep my mouth open and focus on my commentary.”

Ottis Gibson: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Ottis Gibson Pitches For Seven-Up

What he said:

“Against this Indian batting line-up, you probably need seven bowlers.”

West Indies coach, Ottis Gibson, is none-too-optimistic about his side’s chances against a strong Indian batting line-up—in familiar Indian conditions.

What he really meant:

“In English, Australian or South African conditions, four bowlers can bowl them out every time.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“We’re going to do that. Seven bowlers, it is.”

Dean Jones: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Dean Jones Gets Over It Finally With Simon Katich’s ‘Help’

What he said:

“In Katich’s last seven innings, he averaged only 29. I averaged over 85 from my last seven hits and he calls himself poorly treated?”

Dean Jones believes that two or more wrongs actually make a right.

The former Australian cricketer and commentator, affectionately referred to as “Professor Deano”, wrote:

Maybe Katich should talk to guys like Tom Moody, Jamie Siddons and Jamie Cox about how they were treated. Then he might think he has been treated better than he first thought.

Brad Hodge has been quite flippant on his non-selection, but it is sad he hasn’t played more for Australia. Unfortunately, that is just the way the cookie crumbles and he has handled this admirably.

Jones’ piece in “The Age” was titled,”Three words of ‘communication’ for Katich: get over it”

Jones added:

Let me tell you from experience it is awful being dropped. I was dropped seven times from the ODI team from 1986 to ’94. I was ranked the No. 1 player in the world by the ICC for four years during that time. I never got any feedback and never wanted it. I realised that no matter what you say, it won’t change their opinion. So why waste the energy? When your captain and coach don’t want you, then it’s time to go. Test cricket was taken away from me and I didn’t just want to play ODI cricket so I retired.

I love Katich as a player and he is a solid bloke. But, really, he is 36 and you don’t have to be Einstein to know that the selectors would pick Hussey and Ponting before him, no matter what he thinks of Clarke. My advice to Katich is to mentor the kids in New South Wales. Let me tell you from experience, he will get a lot of fun out of it!

When your international career is finished, you feel something has died in you. It is hard to deal with. Depression can take over. This is a time when your support network must help you. One day you are in the inner sanctum and you owned the dressing rooms, the next day you’re not allowed back in. It is a gut-wrenching experience and it will take Katich a year or so to get over it.

It took me two years to get over my sacking. I just put all my effort into the Vics. I got a huge amount of fun in helping the likes of Hodge, Elliott, Williams, Harvey and others. There is so much pleasure in helping young kids following their dreams trying to play for Australia. I hope Katich does the same. He still has so much to offer to Australian cricket.

Players of today want more feedback from the selectors. Well that’s OK, as long as they accept the fact they might not like what the selectors have to say! Ultimately, the players must work it out for themselves.

What Dean Jones really should have said:

“Katich, I’m impressed by your oratory. Why waste your time at the crease when I have an open spot for you in the commentary box?”

What Dean Jones definitely didn’t:

“Katich and I are to co-author a book,’A Walk Down Aussie Cricketing History: Selectors’ Foibles and Follies Lovingly Recalled.’”

MS Dhoni: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

MS Dhoni And Wife Sakshi Are ‘Digitally Bound’

What he said:

“Finally everything over for today,press conference,team meeting,match referee meeting so my wife thinks its time for her to eat my head.”

Indian skipper, MS Dhoni, shares the trials and tribulations of attending to spousal duties after discharging his cricketing ones.

Dhoni updated his Twitter page with the above quote.

The next tweet was a gem:

“Me and my wife (Sakshi) in the same room but communicating via twitter.”

Now, you and I know how to communicate with our partners. If it’s good enough for the Indian skipper, it’s good enough for us.

What MS Dhoni really meant:

“I’d rather negotiate the West Indian quicks than an unhappy spouse.”

What MS Dhoni definitely didn’t:

“My wife’s a cannibal and dinner starts from the top. She’s also a Hannibal Lecter fan.”

Shahid Afridi: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Shahid Afridi Will Retire One Final Time—When He Does

What he said:

“The next time I retire will be the last time.”

Shahid Afridi is clear that when he next intends to retire, it will be final.

The former Pakistani skipper announced his conditional retirement following differences with former PCB President Ijaz Butt and then coach Waqar Younis.

Afridi said:

“I stopped playing because of Butt. He has gone now and I am back. I am fit and want to play. The next time I retire will be the last time.”

On the changes in the PCB’s composition:

The new chairman’s impressive. He’s run a lot of companies, so he knows how to manage people and I hope it will be a good change. Butt was poor during his tenure. If you look at the things that happened, it’s clear he didn’t do a good job. I think he needs to have some rest – he is in his seventies – he is an old man.

Zaka Ashraf is the new PCB chairman.

What he really meant:

“Next time, the one after that, and the one after—they’ll all be final, conditionally.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Tomorrow never comes and Butt never goes.”

Alastair Cook: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Alastair Cook Clusters His Excuses

What he said:

“We know you can lose wickets in clusters and we seem to have lost 10 there in a cluster.”

Alastair Cook cannae explain how his team lost their way in a run-chase against Team India in Kolkatta.

England were 129 for no loss chasing India’s 271 for eight only to collapse to 176 all out.

The loss completed a 5-0 rout at the hands of the current World Champions.

What he really meant:

“We got hit by a series of cluster bombs. We term them spinners.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Humpty Dumpty and his men had a great fall.”