Mid-Day Opinion: Fine batsman first, coach Greg later

Greg Chappell at Mumbai’s Taj Palace in 2006. PIC/MID-DAY ARCHIVES

It is unlikely that Greg Chappell, who turns 78 tomorrow, will receive a birthday card in this day and age, when text/WhatsApp/email messages are more geographically and economically convenient. I can hear some from this part of the world saying that the former India coach won't get any messages, full stop. Chappell's tenure as India coach was tumultuous. A lot was expected after he took over from John Wright in 2005, but India fell short of the expectations that accompanied his appointment. His changes attracted eyeballs, invited the wrath of some members of the team who later accused him of feeding the media with what was happening within the team.

The entire Chappell story hasn't been written. An unbiased tome on the controversial period would make for delightful reading wherein cricket fans in India and Australia in particular are provided perspective and both sides of the story. I even have a title for it, Both Sides. Chappell keeps cropping up in the media. A couple of months ago, Sourav Ganguly told Kolkata-based journalist Gautam Bhattacharya that he ignored Chappell's request to be one of the 14 eventual captains to appeal to the Pakistani authorities for Imran Khan to be treated well in jail. Chappell's gesture was a noble one all the same. What is also commendable is what he is doing for the homeless in Australia through The Chappell Foundation.

Chappell's controversial two-year stint (2005-2007) as India coach has overshadowed his achievements as a cricketer to the point that, in India, Chappell the batsman is remembered less than Chappell the coach.

Chappell started off with a century on Test debut against England at Perth in the 1970-71 Ashes and ended his Test career in January 1984 against Pakistan at Sydney. Only five players in Test history have begun and ended their careers with centuries - Australians Reggie Duff, Bill Ponsford, Greg Chappell, India's Mohammed Azharuddin, and England's Alastair Cook. While speaking about the feat, Chappell indicated that ending up with a Test hundred wasn't a priority, but winning the Test was. Australia under Kim Hughes beat Pakistan by 10 wickets.

It's a pity that spectators in India did not watch Chappell at play. He wasn't picked for the 1969-70 tour, and when it came to the next India vs Australia series here in 1979-80, the Australian board chose not to pick players who figured in Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket. A deceased cricket writer and an influential voice in the game once wrote a magazine article saying Chappell chose not to be part of an India tour. Chappell lost no time in pointing out the grave error. His brother Ian believed Greg deserved to be on the 1969-70 India tour. "He was a far better player than Jock Irvine, the reserve batsman chosen," wrote the elder Chappell in this newspaper when younger brother signed up to coach India. A few months later, I asked Chappell about missing out on that tour, and he said, "I think I had a chance [to be picked in 1969] but not a certainty by any means. I was disappointed but not devastated by it. The sad part was that I didn't realise that was going to be the only chance I would ever have to come to India [as a player]. It is disappointing that I did not get that opportunity. That's life!"

Chappell missed the opportunity to face EAS Prasanna, BS Bedi, and S Venkataraghavan (BS Chandrasekhar didn't play), but was happy to score two hundreds against the Rest the World attacks that included Bedi in 1971-72. "I was 12th man in the first two ‘Tests' but played in Sydney and Melbourne and made hundreds in both games. I batted against Bish a lot - terrific flight bowler and had great control. I was too young to realise what a great bowler he was." The following year, Chappell scored a flawless 131 in the Lord's Test of the 1972 Ashes and another century in the final Test at the Oval where the series ended 2-2.

By the mid-1970s Chappell was among the finest batsmen in the world. He scored a century in each innings on his captaincy debut against the West Indies at Brisbane in 1975-76 and continued to excel in World Series Cricket where, by his own admission, he played the toughest cricket of his career. The 1980-81 season opened up an opportunity to have his first crack at India, and he began the series with a double century at Sydney. That turned out to be his best against India as the visitors conquered Chappell & Co in Melbourne. The following season was a forgettable one for Chappell, dealing with a series of ducks. But he was back at his best in 1982-83, leading Australia to regain the Ashes and scoring 389 runs with centuries in Perth and Adelaide. Chappell now lives in Adelaide, appreciating the best parts of the modern game while remaining critical of aspects that fail to meet with his approval.

mid-day's Deputy Editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.