Greg Chappell

Lahore: Tired of being dragged into “needless” controversies, Greg Chappell did momentarily wonder whether to leave the job but has since changed his mind and decided to continue with the challenge.

The tough-talking Australian, who found himself at the centre of a major row over Sourav Ganguly’s inclusion in the team after taking over as the Team India coach eight months ago, said “there have been people around the team and outside the team who have tried to make issues much bigger than they have really been.”

Asked whether he had, at any time over the past eight months, thought that the job was not worth it, Chappell said: “It has probably flashed across my mind once or twice, but I never got to the stage where I thought it is not worth it.

“I have an unflinching commitment to the job. I am more committed today than I was the day I started because I have seen what can be done, I have seen what can be achieved if we get the right people with the right commitment together,” he explained.

On Monday, during the third ODI at the Gaddafi, a Pakistani fan held a placard which said: ‘Chappell vs Ganguly.’

The coach dismisses the subject, stating that he had a ”very happy and committed” dressing room although he is saddened by needless controversies that have gone on since he took over. Most of the controversies have been “created from outside the team.”

Describing his experience so far as “fascinating” and, by and large “wonderful”, Chappell said: “The important thing is that we have made some wonderful progress and seen some wonderful change in individuals, the way they have gone applying themselves to their cricket.

“I have seen some terrific exciting changes with young players coming into the squad. The older players and the whole group has been refreshed by the youth and enthusiasm that has come into the team. I think that has been misunderstood and misrepresented in certain quarters to the detriment of Indian cricket,” Chappell said.

Reiterating his goal, Chappell said: “I was employed to try and improve the Indian team. I came here with that agenda and that is the only agenda I have.

“We are seeing results of that on the field. The job is only partly done. It is probably not even half done in the sense of what we need to be able to do on a consistent basis to win matches.”

Does Sourav figure in his plans for the 2007 World Cup?

“I am not able to say at this stage who will be in that squad. As I said to the group of 30-odd players when we started in Bangalore in June, who plays in the World Cup will have nothing to do with me, nothing to do with selectors. In any case I am one of the seven people involved in the process. It is actually up to each individual to either select themselves in or select themselves out and that will be by performance, by their attitude, by their ability to fit into all the criteria that are needed to be a Test cricketer or a one-day international player.”

Asked about the controversies he has been involved in, Chappell said he knew making changes would be difficult. “To change the way people perceive things, the way people think, whether it is the players, the media or general public, takes time. Along the way there are bound to be some fluctuations. I cannot get involved in that and cannot get distracted by that.

“It has less to do with the runs made and wickets taken. It has to do with having everything that takes up the individual who blends into a group that can be a successful team. It has a lot to do with individuals and their commitment to getting better as a person, getting better as player... It is not just about batting or bowling, fielding is a very important part of it. Then there is attitude ? your attitude towards the team, towards your teammates... There is a checklist of about ten points each individual needs to be able to meet to fit into the future of Indian cricket.”

Asked whether it was up to Sourav to mend his ways, Chappell said: “It is up to all of us. It is up to any individual who is playing cricket to display qualities that are necessary to meet the requirements of a successful team.”

Chappell was firm in the belief that India don’t need a bowling coach. “We don’t need one? We have got hundreds of bowling coaches. We have got Michael Holding on television who tells us everything that we have to do. We have Imran Khan on television everyday telling us what we have to do.”

What are his expectations from the World Cup? “There are some areas we need to develop such as our batting, bowling and fielding, our flexibility, our ability to handle all types of situations that can come up on the field during a match. If we keep developing in all these areas, we will be a competitive team with a chance to win the Cup. If we can get to semi-finals, anyone can win from that point.”