Greg Chappell's tenure as India's head coach is often looked back on with a polarising lens. The Australian's highly publicised spat with then-captain Sourav Ganguly, which followed a change in leadership and Ganguly's unceremonious ouster from the side, drew significant fan backlash for Chappell. While India still produced impressive performances during his tenure, it was all overshadowed when his team was shockingly knocked out in the group stages of the 2007 ODI World Cup, losing to Bangladesh in the tournament's opener.
While a host of former cricketers during the time have since spoken negatively about Chappell, there are a few who not only commend his skills as a coach but also sympathise with the Aussie. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan is one of them. Irfan's career rose under Chappell, with the player not just being a regular fixture in the XI but also being promoted to batting roles higher in the order.
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During a chat with TheLallantop, Irfan explained why Chappell's strict persona and his strict coaching approach didn't sit well with the Indian cricketing “culture.”
“He had his way of treating seniors and juniors with the same respect. But in that, he would be a bit more aggressive than one would like. He would tell anyone that if they don't perform, they will be dropped. I realised it was too aggressive, and once I talked to him privately about it,” Irfan began.
{{/usCountry}}“He had his way of treating seniors and juniors with the same respect. But in that, he would be a bit more aggressive than one would like. He would tell anyone that if they don't perform, they will be dropped. I realised it was too aggressive, and once I talked to him privately about it,” Irfan began.
{{/usCountry}}“I told him that we already know what you keep saying about being dropped. You don't need to tell us. It is causing insecurity in the team. He looked at me for a while, got a bit upset and threw some choicest of words, but then he realised I was right,” said Irfan.
Irfan provided a hypothetical example, explaining how it is important for coaches to “accept” the culture, particularly when they are coming from a different country.
“If I go to Bangladesh or Sri Lanka or England as a coach, and if I don't accept their culture, would their players accept me? Greg Chappell's intention was right, but he wanted to bring an Australian culture. He wanted us to play hard cricket and didn't care what background anyone came from. But you can certainly do it in a much better way," said Irfan.
Irfan's example of playing in England
The former all-rounder further spoke about his County stint in England, where he represented Middlesex.
“I played for Middlesex County club. You play a four-day match, then you drive the next day. They gather everyone in a bar before the match. I don't drink, but I need to accept their culture. You are a part of the team, and you need to blend in. If Chappell hadn't missed that one thing, he would've been one of the best coaches,” said Irfan.