23 June,2016 08:44 AM IST | | Bipin Dani
Contrary to Sourav Ganguly's remarks, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, who was the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) when Greg Chappell was appointed, does not feel it was a bad decision
Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly admitted to messing up when the southpaw recommended Greg Chappell for the post of India coach in 2005.
Sourav Ganguly. Pic/PTI
However, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, who was the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) when Chappell was appointed, does not feel it was a bad decision.
"We had appointed a committee (Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and S Venkatraghavan) and all the members of the committee were unanimous on this choice," said Mahendra yesterday. On Tuesday, Ganguly raked up the Chappell issue during a book launch.
"I once had an opportunity to select the coach. I thought I messed it up in 2005," said Ganguly, who is now part of the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee that will pick the next India coach.
Ranbir Singh Mahendra and Greg Chappell
Mahendra said Chappell was the best of the lot. "He was the best competent person at that time and his presentation impressed us all. Chappell did well till his differences with Ganguly surfaced. I was told that the team was not united, but that was only upon hearsay and the issues were sorted out thereafter," said Mahendra.
"We never felt that we made a wrong choice. We never regretted our decision. He (Chappell) was better than all those who were interviewed," Mahendra signed off.
