da poker： Greg Chappell is likely to stay on as India’s coach irrespective of theteam’s performance in the World Cup
<b>Exclusive</b> by Anand Vasu in Rajkot12-Jan-2007
Greg Chappell’s future is more secure than some have thought © Getty Images
Greg Chappell is likely to stay on as India’s coach irrespective of theteam’s performance in the World Cup, contrary to the widely held beliefthat his future with Indian cricket is linked to the World Cup.Cricinfo has learnt that the the Board of Control for Cricket of India(BCCI) is keen to retain the services of Chappell, whose two-year tenurecomes to an end in May, for the large-scale rebuilding of the team if itfails to perform well in the World Cup.A senior member of the Board told Cricinfo today that it will not be thecoach, but the non-performing players who will come under the scanner.The national selection committee has already sent a strong message – perform or be dropped – to India’s cricketers but the case of VirenderSehwag is not an isolated one. Sections of the BCCI have grownincreasingly worried about the team¹s stagnation and the recent poor performances and are no longer willing to sit back and watch.Traditionally the office bearers of the BCCI have taken a back seat whenit comes to the actual business of bat and ball, preferring to concentrateon administering the game and raising funds while leaving cricket to theselectors, the coach and the captain.However, indications are that they have had enough, and are raisingserious questions about the attitude of certain senior players who havefailed to deliver as expected.In the past, senior players have been virtually untouchable, despitesuffering from poor form or carrying niggling injuries. But, if a seniorIndian board official is to be believed, this is set to end quickly.”The way we see it, the World Cup could be a last hurrah for certainplayers,” he said. “If the performance in the World Cup is not up to ourexpectations, then you can expect a number of changes. No one will bespared, no matter how big he is.”Critically, in all this, the Board has given events a complete twist bystrongly suggesting that Greg Chappell, the coach, could continue afterthe World Cup.”He is a good coach. What can he do if players are not performing?” askedthe official. “It is media speculation and an assumption among the playersthat Chappell’s contract will not be renewed after the World Cup.”Only recently Dilip Vengsarkar and Chappell had visited Shashank Manohar,a vice-president of the BCCI who has repeatedly called for moreaccountability from the players and has been in the forefront ofimplementing a system where players will be paid in correlation to theperformance of the team.That system is set to be put in place shortly and the latest round ofassurances from the board to the coach could well result in a scenariowhere no player can take his place for granted.