Ian Chappell

Calcutta: Brother Greg has regularly been making headlines in these parts, but Ian Chappell’s fan following hasn’t diminished one bit. The iconic Ian spoke to The Telegraph for over an hour during the Super Test in Sydney.

The following are excerpts

On himself

(Grins) Must you start with this? I’m a simple person... A front bar drinker from the bay, because I was brought up just off the sea... The front bar in a hotel is the least salubrious part... That’s where the workers, so to say, drink as opposed to a saloon bar (mixed clientele) and the lounge where you need to be in a suit... When people referred to me as the Australian captain and so on, I introduced myself differently.

On whether he had a pampered upbringing

No... No... My father (Martin) never hit me, but mother Jeanne did ? because I couldn’t tie the shoelaces properly or something like that... My father’s way of punishing me was to say ‘right, I’m not going to take you to the cricket match’ or ‘I won’t take you for the baseball game’ and I would plead ‘hit me, for God’s sake, but do take me with you’... Father was a good club-level cricketer and when he got older, would lead the Glenelg Grade III team packed with youngsters... I would go along with him to the Adelaide Oval as a scorer, not because I liked scoring, but in the hope that one of the young guys wouldn’t turn up and I would get to play! And, that’s the way I got to play as a nine-year-old... I didn’t score many, but held out for around 45 minutes at No. 9. I expected to be patted by father, but he said I’d backed away once when somebody really fast was bowling and, so, I wouldn’t get another outing. I didn’t think I had, but it left me devastated... That’s how I was brought up... It was meant to toughen me ? and my brothers (Greg and Trevor). The growing-up days were immensely enjoyable. If you ask Greg, even he will say he had a great time. By the way, we didn’t have homework till secondary school and, till that stage, one could play the sport of one’s choice once school got over in the afternoons.

On his father’s influence

Huge... Inculcated the love for cricket and guided me on how to play it: Hard, but fair. If I’d appealed for a catch on the bounce, in his presence, he would have taken me off by the collar...

On the values he (and his brothers) grew up with

Being truthful... Trying to be a decent human being... I’ve disappointed myself as I’ve got older, though...

On how he began playing

By throwing the ball against the wall and giving it a whack. While doing so, I would also give my brand of commentary.

On the rivalry between the brothers

Greg was five years younger and Trevor another five... (Adds laughing) When Greg first came into the South Australian side, we had some mix-ups and people would say ‘they’re brothers, but don’t have an understanding’... What they didn’t realise is that we never played together ? in our backyard, we were opponents. I was Australia and it fell on Greg to be England! Later, Greg became Australia and Trevor had to be poor England... Because of the imaginary Ashes Tests, I never looked upon Greg as a brother... Where I was concerned, he was an opponent... I suppose the first time I thought of him as a brother was when I was the captain-coach of a baseball team... Others felt I’d picked the 16-year-old because he was my brother, but that wasn’t so... Greg did very well in the first game itself. It confirmed I picked guys who could play, who could be winners. Whatever the sport, I played to win and my team would be packed with guys who, too, wanted to win... To get back to brotherly feelings, it really surfaced during one of the games when an opponent hurt Greg... I remember throwing down my gloves and going for him... Somebody intervened... That night, I sat down at home and said to myself ‘I really do look upon him as my brother’... The first time we batted together was for South Australia, but it wasn’t a long partnership... Of course, we were different as batsmen ? being tall, Greg favoured drives, whereas I was more of a puller and cutter. The bowlers, therefore, had to change their length all the time if we happened to be together. It’s fair to say we complemented each other.

On the one quality of Greg which stood out

His determination... Once his mind was made up on something, he would go through with it... That was evident in the battles we had in our backyard... I twisted his arm once to get him to concede he’d got out, but he didn’t yield... I realised if I continued twisting, that arm would break... In any case, I think mother came out of the house...

On how he rated Greg as a batsman

Highly... From the time he got a fifty-odd in the final of a club tournament... Indeed, when he got a Test hundred on debut, it was a wake-up call for me... I was the captain, but if I didn’t get runs myself, there could be a situation where Greg would become a regular and I would have to sit out... My record as a batsman improved after he came into the Australian XI.

On the rivalry once Greg left South Australia for Queensland

We had a major showdown during a match when Greg hit the No. 11 with a bouncer... I told him ‘listen you p****, if you want to bowl a bouncer bowl it at me, not the No. 11’... To which Greg, who was fired up, retorted ‘shut up and get on with your batting’... So, there was that needle between us.

On whether the brothers were privileged because maternal grandfather Vic Richardson had captained Australia

Not at all. Whatever the grade of cricket, we got picked because we were good enough. Let me add that our parents sacrificed a few things to make sure we played for Australia... Except for their support, we weren’t privileged in any way.

On interacting with his maternal grandfather

He never coached us, but would speak of his experiences... Talking of myself, I haven’t forgotten what he emphasised: Even if you can’t be a good cricketer, at least look like one; after winning the toss, think of batting nine times out of ten.

On whether he was a rebel when young

No... That’s because I was educated in an atmosphere where one was allowed to speak his mind... One was allowed to question things... If I was rebellious, it was as an army cadet... I couldn’t blindly follow orders... In fact, when Greg’s elder son Stephen became a fighter pilot, I wondered from where he’d got the trait ot listening to orders. The Chappells didn’t do that.

On being branded a rebel in the later stages of his career

Look, I never saw myself as a rebel. Rather, I’ve always looked at myself as somebody who speaks his mind... If something was wrong, in my view, it had to be fixed immediately not six months later... That’s how I approached the captaincy... After all, if we lost because something hadn’t been put right, my record would get affected..5. It wouldn’t hurt some bloody Board member...

On the fear that cricket could be more commercially driven in years to come

The first reason for playing should always be the love for cricket... That you can make a good living out of it is something that follows... I don’t have a problem with that and I do believe it must get to a point where, for the players, it’s another day in the office.

On whether he’s happy with cricket in 2005

There’s plenty to improve and, for starters, former players should be involved in the administration in a much bigger way... Today, not enough decent cricket minds are involved... The administrators, in my view, have diluted the importance of values by expanding the use of technology... I’d like to see cricketers being honest all the time.

On his heroes outside cricket

American baseballer Jackie Robinson... He broke the colour barrier in 1947... His courage was remarkable... Outside sport, it would be Mahatma Gandhi ? unfortunately, I don’t know as much about him as I ought to be knowing ? and Martin Luther King. Like Gandhi, very courageous and very intelligent. They used their mind, not force, to score points. The problem with force is that somebody with more strength may emerge...

On who qualifies to be a hero

Anybody who makes a difference to the lives of others... Anybody who makes society better... (After a pause) The problem I have with the concept of royalty, for example, is that one has to bow and... That suggests somebody is better than the rest... I have a problem with that as I was brought up to believe everybody is equal... The heroes, of course, stand apart.

On the qualities a leader must have

He’s got to be honest and he’s got to have the respect of his men.

On differences with Sir Don Bradman

As I’ve told you earlier, he lied to me on a few occasions... Also, he tended to treat the Board’s money as his own... I respected him as a cricketer, not so as a human being... I’m happy I had the guts to stand up to him.

Finally, on how would he like to be remembered

(Grins again) When I die, I won’t be able to worry... How I’m going to be remembered is something that doesn’t particularly bother me... Obviously, I’ve done things in life which I regret... Generally, I’m happy with who I’ve been... That way, I’m comfortable...