Former Australian captain and one of cricket's greatest sons Greg Chappell is surprisingly cool in the heat that had the mercury rising on manic Monday. But his stoic demeanour reflects his purpose of arriving in Mumbai on serious business.
As the world knows, the Chappells love their cricket and that's what they do best. After scoring over 7,000 runs at an impressive average of 53.86 in Tests to become one of the game's biggest heroes, Greg Chappell has chosen to pass on the legacy to the next generation.
Through 'Cricket Down Under — The Chappell Way', a fortnight long clinic to be held in Mumbai, he says it's a great opportunity for talented young lads to hone their skills not only on the field but off it as well.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Greg Chappell reveals how it should be done. Excerpts:
What inspired you to start 'Cricket Down Under — The Chappell Way'?
The programme is the brainchild of events and sports marketing company Odesa Global. They approached us to be involved. We basically manage the programme. The Chappell way is all about the philosophy of creating a learning environment for young cricketers. To learn skills that would not only help them in cricket but also help them in their lives. Things like success skills, like learning how to prepare for practice.
There's a lot more to practice than just turning up for nets. You've got to be in the right frame of mind when you get there. If you don't know what it is you are trying to achieve from that session, anything you achieve will be an accident. What we are suggesting is that you've got to take the 'luck' out of the process, prepare properly for training and matches and later find out what you've learnt. It's not a matter of standing at the end of the nets and saying 'do it like this or do it like that'. There is a whole process that is as much about the mind as it is about the body.
{{/usCountry}}There's a lot more to practice than just turning up for nets. You've got to be in the right frame of mind when you get there. If you don't know what it is you are trying to achieve from that session, anything you achieve will be an accident. What we are suggesting is that you've got to take the 'luck' out of the process, prepare properly for training and matches and later find out what you've learnt. It's not a matter of standing at the end of the nets and saying 'do it like this or do it like that'. There is a whole process that is as much about the mind as it is about the body.
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