Chappell all set for sweeping changes in Team India’s fortunes

NEW DELHI: Moments after being installed as India's new cricket coach, and having run the gauntlet of his first official press conference, Greg Chappell returned to his hotel room. It was littered with the remains of his vegan lunch and his morning's reading - The Power of Intention, a book described as “one that might help readers land a better job”.

He went to his desk, sat down and started checking his mail, taking calls and meeting journalists. He has two years to change the fortunes of Indian cricket, and he's not wasting any time.

“I understand the enormity of the job at hand”, he told this website’s newspaper, the smile on his face giving no inkling of the hectic time ahead.

“Cricket is changing. It was very inflexible but today it is moving very fast, from over to over, ball to ball. It is very important for the captain to read the flow of the game and ensure that he doesn't stay rigid.”

Armed with a two-year contract handed out to him, and with the promise of sweeping powers from his employers the BCCI, Chappell could be the most influential India coach yet. John Wright, by comparison, worked from one season to the next.

One of Chappell's first tasks will be to settle the captaincy issue. A potentially tricky situation, given that Sourav Ganguly, while his strongest champion over the past few weeks, is personally on a sticky wicket. “We have worked before and hopefully this time also we will achieve success together”, he said.

Next he must build up a rapport with the players, many of whom were backing the candidature of Tom Moody for the coach's job. He's clear on what that entails. “I'm not here to be a friend. I am here as a coach, a mentor, a parent. And sometimes you have to tell them off, set certain parameters.”

Unlike John Wright who played checkers, Chappell is a chess player, never pushing a bishop to move in the same way as a knight. “Certain senior players who have played a lot of cricket need to be given some leeway. With more freedom, they will also have more responsibility. They have earned the privileges and the others will understand that and strive for it”, he said.

“But”, he added, sitting up and raising his voice, “some rules are non-negotiable, and punctuality and protocol are two of them.” One more distinction: Wright led India to a Test victory in India (1988), Chappell has never even played a Test in India. Did he see it as an impediment?

“It could be. It could be positive also. I won't come in with any fixed ideas to play. I will seek guidance from the senior players, former greats and also those people who make wickets in India”, he said.

He sounded confident of his own abilities. “Having played cricket at the highest level I can read a wicket well. Of course there will be the idiosyncrasies of, say, a Durban wicket where the late tide affects the swing. Most of these are old wives' tales but they sometimes work.”

“Finally it is the captain who goes out tossing the coin, so he should also have a pretty good idea. If he is incapable then we need another captain”, he said - quickly adding that his reference was not to Ganguly in particular.

As Chappell takes on a side debilitated by intrigue and inconsistency, matched only by the selectors who pick them, the job at hand seems tough. Throw in the BCCI's high-handed attitude, the media glare and Chappell could well be on the toughest assignment of his career.

“You have to be seriously mad about what you do”, he said. He's already got the first half down pat.