Chappell was the best choice, says former BCCI president by Bipin Dani

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GS Chappell, SC Ganguly

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DateLine: 23rd June 2016

 

Mumbai, June 22 : Team India's former coach Greg Chappell didn't wish to comment on what Sourav Ganguly, one of the members of the coach finding committee (the BCCI call it a Cricket Advisory Committee-CAC) said on him being the coach. He even didn't want to know what Ganguly, as a captain in 2005 had messed up while proposing his name.

 

"I have no comment at this stage", he said over telephone from Australia. When pressed further, he said, "(no comments) not at this time".

 

"I once had an opportunity to select the coach. I thought I messed it up in 2005...", Ganguly said in Kolkata on Tuesday. Though he didn't take any name, it was more than obvious that he was referring to Australian Greg Chappell, who became India's coach.

 

Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the BCCI chief then, however, has no regrets on picking him as India coach.

 

Speaking exclusively from Bhiwani on Wednesday morning, he said, "we had appointed a committee (Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and S. Venkatraghavan) and all members of the committee were unanimous on this choice".

 

"He was the best competent man at the time and his presentation did impress all of us".

 

"Chappell was doing fine till his differences with Saurav Ganguly surfaced and I was also being told by someone that the team is not united but that was only the hearsay we had, and whatever it is, the issues were sorted out thereafter".

 

"I don't want to comment on why Ganguly has opened the chapter again or should have said so now...But I can tell you we never ever felt that we made a wrong choice. We never repented for our decision. He was found better than all others who were interviewed", Ranbeer Singh Mahendra added.

 

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2016 Bipin Dani)