INDIAN agitator Sourav Ganguly says Australia are wasting their time having Greg Chappell address the team before the Boxing Day Test, and has even taken aim at former teammate Rahul Dravid and the handling of injured spearhead Ishant Sharma.Ganguly remains a polarising figure in world cricket and has never been afraid to speak his mind and rile opponents, particularly when it comes to Australian captains.The former skipper, who will arrive shortly to commentate on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, has reopened old wounds with Chappell, his former personal and team coach, days before the Australian batting legend helps Michael Clarke's team in its bid to tame the tourists' ageing, but potent, batsmen.Advertisement: Story continues belowOutspoken ... Ganguly.Outspoken ... Ganguly. Photo: Getty ImagesChappell, who has intricate knowledge of Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid and V. V. S. Laxman, having coached India between 2005-07, has been asked by Australian coach Mickey Arthur to address the team in Melbourne.
However, Ganguly suggested Chappell's impact would be minimal. ''If you look back at the 2008 series, which happened to be my last, Chappell was present in the Australian team's support staff,'' Ganguly said.
''Yet we won the series 2-0. Therefore, I don't think his presence would make any difference this time also.''
Chappell spent the early part of that tour as a consultant with the Australian side, providing on and off-field direction that was well received by the players. He did not wish to comment when contacted yesterday.
Chappell has detailed some of his insights of the Indian batsmen in his new autobiography, Fierce Focus. It includes claiming Tendulkar was ''surprisingly fragile'' in 2006 when he struggled for runs.
Ganguly has never forgiven Chappell for promoting his removal as captain. They endured a tumultuous relationship as player and coach, having been good friends in earlier years when Chappell was something of a personal coach for the left-hander in 2002-03.
Ganguly also dragged the venerable Dravid into his latest outburst, a move that will annoy the Indian team's management.
''He [Chappell] came on board with some personal vendetta and also lacked foresight. He didn't want a settled dressing room,'' Ganguly said on Indian television.
''He made mistake after mistake, but the then captain Rahul Dravid never had the guts to stop Chappell from his wrongdoing.''
As the tourists deal with a serious ankle injury to Sharma, Ganguly has questioned why uncapped Bengal paceman Ashok Dinda was not included in the original touring party to Australia.
Dinda is tipped to be drafted into the squad as cover for Sharma, who remains in doubt for the Boxing Day Test and could yet return home.
''Dinda is India's best pace bowler right now and should have been on that plane to Australia in the first place with rest of the squad,'' Ganguly said.
The rangy Sharma managed just 5.3 overs against a Cricket Australia Chairman's XI on Thursday before abruptly leaving the field. He was advised to rest until today.
Ganguly said Sharma, who has dismissed Ricky Ponting six times in eight Tests, should not play in Melbourne unless he is fully fit.
''This is a very long tour. If Ishant has pain in his ankle, then he should be rested for the first Test,'' he said.
''The final test of the series will be very crucial. You cannot play a bowler having even 50 per cent of fitness level.
''It will put immense pressure on the team like we saw in England where Zaheer [Khan] broke down in the first Test at Lord's, and India never recovered.
''The Indian team management, be it skipper or the selector, have to take a decision immediately.
''If Ishant isn't fully fit, and has little chance of recovering, then he should be sent back home.''
Article Source: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/no-point-to-chappells-team-talk--ganguly-20111219-1p2l3.html
Monday, December 19, 2011
DUNCAN FLETCHER, India's head coach, is no stranger to ruffling Australian feathers and yesterday he was involved in a ''storm in a teacup'' which led to suggestions India were considering abandoning their tour match in Canberra yesterday.
A potential diplomatic furore threatened to erupt yesterday morning after a chain of ''Chinese whispers'' started by a ''flippant'' remark from a member of India's support staff, not involved in team management, worried that wet weather would interfere with the team's Boxing Day Test preparations.
''He made a flippant comment 'we may as well go to Melbourne','' said Manuka Oval's venue manager, Matthew Tokley, who will today file a report to the ACT government's media explaining yesterday's brouhaha. ''It was a case of Chinese whispers. That's then completely blown out of proportion, coming down to a threat from the Indian team to fly to Melbourne which is completely not the case.
''Advertisement: Story continues belowWorried after nearly nine millimetres of rain fell in the hours leading up to yesterday's start, the staff member, wearing India's team uniform, approached Manuka Oval's curator, Brad van Dam, at 9.30am wanting to know his assessment of how much play would be likely this week.''He wanted to know exactly what's happening now because the Indian team wants to look at changing venues, hop on planes, get to Melbourne and get their preparation going,'' van Dam said last night.
''I said to him: 'It's only 9 o'clock, just relax, it's not that drastic. There's still days to go and there'll be cricket played today, everything's ready to go. Just got to wait for the rain to stop.'
''He was quite frantic about needing to know now but I said we just have to wait.''
An hour later, Fletcher spoke to the curator and was told play would start at 1.40pm after groundsmen had cleared the overnight rain from the playing surface.
The incident, had it escalated, would have marred the start of India's tour of Australia - the sub-continental giant's first on these shores since the bitter ''Monkeygate'' series four years ago.
It's not the first time Fletcher, the mastermind behind England's Ashes success in 2005, has been embroiled in a controversy with Australians.
His cheeky wink at Ricky Ponting from the balcony at Trent Bridge after the batsman was run out by substitute fielder Gary Pratt saw the then Australian captain launch a tirade at the English dressing room.
During the 2009 Ashes series, Fletcher, who by then was no longer coach of England, wrote a newspaper column criticising Ponting over Australian concerns regarding perceived gamesmanship from the hosts in the closing stages of a thrilling draw in Cardiff.
The Herald is not suggesting Fletcher was the architect of yesterday's episode but he may have become unwittingly involved due to the staff member's loose lips.
Van Dam said: ''He's the head coach, I suppose everything comes from the head coach.''
Fletcher, however, was far from agitated in talks with the curator.''He was fine. He was [wearing his] game face, ready to go,'' van Dam said. ''He said nothing about leaving. He wanted to know about the weather, if the game was to be started … ''
Van Dam, however, believed a heavy-handed approach had been taken to what he believed to be a ''storm in a teacup''.
A spokesman for the Board of Control for Cricket in India said late last night the visitors had not planned to leave, saying, ''these are international fixtures, one has to adhere to them''.
Article Source: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/hard-rain-edgy-indians-threaten-to-fly-south-20111219-1p2jt.html
A potential diplomatic furore threatened to erupt yesterday morning after a chain of ''Chinese whispers'' started by a ''flippant'' remark from a member of India's support staff, not involved in team management, worried that wet weather would interfere with the team's Boxing Day Test preparations.
''He made a flippant comment 'we may as well go to Melbourne','' said Manuka Oval's venue manager, Matthew Tokley, who will today file a report to the ACT government's media explaining yesterday's brouhaha. ''It was a case of Chinese whispers. That's then completely blown out of proportion, coming down to a threat from the Indian team to fly to Melbourne which is completely not the case.
''Advertisement: Story continues belowWorried after nearly nine millimetres of rain fell in the hours leading up to yesterday's start, the staff member, wearing India's team uniform, approached Manuka Oval's curator, Brad van Dam, at 9.30am wanting to know his assessment of how much play would be likely this week.''He wanted to know exactly what's happening now because the Indian team wants to look at changing venues, hop on planes, get to Melbourne and get their preparation going,'' van Dam said last night.
''I said to him: 'It's only 9 o'clock, just relax, it's not that drastic. There's still days to go and there'll be cricket played today, everything's ready to go. Just got to wait for the rain to stop.'
''He was quite frantic about needing to know now but I said we just have to wait.''
An hour later, Fletcher spoke to the curator and was told play would start at 1.40pm after groundsmen had cleared the overnight rain from the playing surface.
The incident, had it escalated, would have marred the start of India's tour of Australia - the sub-continental giant's first on these shores since the bitter ''Monkeygate'' series four years ago.
It's not the first time Fletcher, the mastermind behind England's Ashes success in 2005, has been embroiled in a controversy with Australians.
His cheeky wink at Ricky Ponting from the balcony at Trent Bridge after the batsman was run out by substitute fielder Gary Pratt saw the then Australian captain launch a tirade at the English dressing room.
During the 2009 Ashes series, Fletcher, who by then was no longer coach of England, wrote a newspaper column criticising Ponting over Australian concerns regarding perceived gamesmanship from the hosts in the closing stages of a thrilling draw in Cardiff.
The Herald is not suggesting Fletcher was the architect of yesterday's episode but he may have become unwittingly involved due to the staff member's loose lips.
Van Dam said: ''He's the head coach, I suppose everything comes from the head coach.''
Fletcher, however, was far from agitated in talks with the curator.''He was fine. He was [wearing his] game face, ready to go,'' van Dam said. ''He said nothing about leaving. He wanted to know about the weather, if the game was to be started … ''
Van Dam, however, believed a heavy-handed approach had been taken to what he believed to be a ''storm in a teacup''.
A spokesman for the Board of Control for Cricket in India said late last night the visitors had not planned to leave, saying, ''these are international fixtures, one has to adhere to them''.
Article Source: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/hard-rain-edgy-indians-threaten-to-fly-south-20111219-1p2jt.html
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