TWO MEN WHO KILLED TEAM INDIA

KIRAN MORE & GREG CHAPPELL- DAMN THEM

My words of november 30th 2006 post have become prophetic. BCCI didn't wake up and its bye bye to world cup. It's been all along that I have been against Chappell, his vision 2007 was a pipe dream. As i write this India are virtually knocked out of the 2007 world cup, in my lifetime i have never seen such a poor display. Even if a miracle takes place and India goes ahead, of which there is no real possiblity barring intervention of betting mafia, even if India were to progress into last four of this tournament (laughable prospect today) Greg Chappell deserves to get the boot.

Not only Chappell but Mr. Kiran More should also be held accountable for what he has done, he calmly appears on Times now channel attempting to cast his pearls of wisdom. A lot of us have stopped watching the channel.

Sourav Ganguly had built up a team and brought in a fearless batting culture which saw Indian batters displaying aggression from the word go. This agression is being pursued with greater success now by Australia and South Africa. The flamboyant agression that Kaif & Yuvraj displayed when winning the natwest trophy when the chips were down characterized the team approach.

This aggression means that a batter might not last long, but while he lasts the damage is done. Somehow insipid and defensive Dravid has changed all that, gone are the fearless ways of the batters, what is on display is a cowardly Indian batter unsure of his position and place in the team, gone are the bowlers who were penetrative just fifteen months ago.

Dravid & Chappell inherited a well oiled slam banging run machine from Ganguly and soon they converted it to a team of batters who were unable to bat full fifty overs. Bowlers were unable to finish their quota of ten overs. One thing which was clear soon even in the world rankings that India had slipped.

Being uttelry patriotic and optimist somehow we felt we will do well in the world cup, but alas, it was not a slip, it was a fall. Kiran More and Greg Chappell have sunk a billion hopes and shattered Indian cricket beyond repair.

There are knee jerk reactions that will take place, I can already hear 'Endulkar' & 'Goneguly' but to be honest both these players will last next two years at least.

Let Dravid stay as the test captain, he doesn't merit his place in the one day squad, now that we have plethora of wicket keepers, Tendulkar should be one day captain with Yuvraj to take up the next world cup captaincy. The pool of players need to be increased, we sorely lack a couple of world class spinners and a genuine quick. Give tendulkar an objective, that he is not going to play the world cup 2011, however he must build a team that will save India's face in the next edition.

As for Chappell we all know where he is headed.