It was tough time under Chappell: Zaheer

Team India spearhead Zaheer Khan said the side had a difficult time under former coach Greg Chappell and he had no idea why he was dropped after the 2005 series against Pakistan.

Team India spearhead Zaheer Khan said the side had a difficult time under former coach Greg Chappell and he had no idea why he was dropped after the 2005 series against Pakistan.

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Zaheer said he didn't have much idea about what transpired in the dressing room when Chappell held the coach reins but things were not easy then.

"Most of the times, I was not part of the team and whatever chances I had, I tried to give my best. It was, in a way, a difficult time," Zaheer told NDTV channel.

"I didn't know why I was out of the team. In 2004, it was mostly due to injuries and in 2005, it was the time when the Greg Chappell time started," Zaheer said.

Incidentally, teammates Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh had more or less the same thing to say about Chappell who had a tumultuous two-year stint with Team India.

Chappell had a well-documented spat with former captain Sourav Ganguly but he reportedly had problems with other senior players as well and Zaheer too was not up in the Australian's pecking order.

Recalling his time in the wilderness, Zaheer said, "I could never find out the answers (for my exclusion). I didn't know what was wrong. So when the county offer came, I thought I should be playing this. Cricket was my love and passion and I decided to carry on playing. I knew I'll be happy just playing the game." More