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Friday, March 29 2024
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Tendulkar reveals, Dravid says no comments, Chappell denies

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New Delhi: Cricket’s Zen master, who never let anyone breach his zone while batting in the middle, has riled up many with his words that he chose to either keep to himself or used very carefully during his playing days.

The launch of Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’ is only two days away, and as the excerpts from the book make their way into the media, discussion forums and social media is abuzz with various thoughts and opinions.

While some feel Tendulkar should have spoken about things like Greg Chappell’s negative influence openly during his playing days, the master’s team-mates like Sourav Ganguly are happy to see Sachin speaking his heart out.

However, the mosted debated of Tendulkar’s discussions has been the revelation that former India coch Chappell visiting Sachin’s home before the 2007 World Cup and wanted to replace Dravid as captain. And while Dravid has chosen to remain silent about it, Chappell has outrightly denied Sachin’s claim.

SACHIN REVEALS

“Just months before the [2007] World Cup, Chappell had come to see me at home and, to my dismay, suggested that I should take over the captaincy from Rahul Dravid. Anjali, who was sitting with me, was equally shocked to hear him say that ‘together, we could control Indian cricket for years,’ and that he would help me in taking over the reins of the side.

“I was surprised to hear the coach not showing the slightest amount of respect for the captain, with cricket’s biggest tournament just months away. I rejected his proposition outright. He stayed for a couple of hours, trying to convince me, before finally leaving.

“A few days after Greg had come to my house, I suggested to the BCCI that the best option would be to keep Greg back in India and not send him with the team to the World Cup. I also said that we as senior players could take control of the side and keep the team together. That’s not what happened, of course, and the 2007 campaign ended in disaster.

DRAVID SAYS ‘NO COMMENTS’

“I haven’t really read the excerpts of that book. Also I am not privy to any private conversation between two individuals. I have not heard about this before and I have no idea what happened and I would not want to make any comment,” Dravid told sources.

“It’s been a long time and it does not make much of a difference to me now. Not looking forward towards reading this [Chappell controversy] but yes anything that Sachin writes on batsmanship and things like what made him the best in the world. I am more interested in reading those parts.”

CHAPPELL DENIES

“Whilst I don’t propose to get into a war of words, I can state quite clearly that during my time as Indian coach, I never contemplated Sachin replacing Rahul Dravid as captain. I was, therefore, very surprised to read the claims made in the book,” Chappell said through Cricket Australia statement.

“During those years, I only ever visited Sachin’s home once, and that was with our physio and assistant coach during Sachin’s rehabilitation from injury, at least 12 months earlier than what was reported in the book. We enjoyed a pleasant afternoon together but the subject of captaincy was never raised.”

 

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