John Wright

Kanpur: Coach John Wright may quit after the two-Test series against South Africa if Team India?s performance doesn?t improve. Except for winning the largely inconsequential Mumbai Test versus Australia, the Indians have drawn a blank everywhere this season.

Wright, who has just completed four years, wasn?t available for comment but a well-placed source had this to tell The Telegraph: ?After last season?s success, John?s wait for that extra ten per cent continues... To reach the next level, that ten per cent is important??

Speaking on Friday evening, the source added: ?Having already been away from his kids at a crucial time of their growth, John doesn?t want to hang around... If the boys aren?t hungry for glory, if they aren?t focused on getting to the next level then, well, he would prefer returning to New Zealand for good...?

So, if the performance in the series beginning Saturday doesn?t see an upswing, Wright probably won?t stay for the next assignment ? the short tour of Bangladesh in December. After all, success there will mean nothing.

Wright?s contract, of course, is till the end of the season. Incidentally, he is a divorcee, which is why he is probably getting more concerned about his two children.

Perhaps, it has something to do with Wright?s image, but he hasn?t got the credit he deserves. Worse ? and this is shocking ? recently, a couple of seniors weren?t exactly respectful towards him.

It?s to Wright?s credit that he hasn?t allowed a particularly unpleasant incident to influence his own opinion about the duo. Rather, he has even got out of his way to ?protect? them.

The Board, for its part, hasn?t helped matters by appointing Sunil Gavaskar as consultant without seeking Wright?s views. He wouldn?t have objected, but could have talked about the captain now having to listen to two voices.

Apparently, Wright is particularly upset his hands remain tied over selection.

Given a choice, he would only pick those with passion and attitude. Yet, the structure of the selection committee is such the five selectors ? all of whom are zone-driven ? take to a meeting after reaching an understanding among themselves...

Wright finds that irritating, more so as his (and the captain?s) neck is on the line, not the selectors?.

For the record, Wright has a 50 per cent-plus success rate both in Tests and ODIs: 17 wins (14 losses) in 45 Tests, 67 wins (53 losses) in 126 ODIs.

Not exceptional, but certainly good, given that he took charge soon after the match-fixing scandal rocked Indian cricket.