Chappell peeved at pressure tactics by selectors

Mohali: Indian coach Greg Chappell is supposed to have walked out of the Mount View hotel in Chandigarh without speaking a word to anyone. According to a source close to the Indian team, Chappell is very upset both with the players and selectors.

The dominant personality that Chappell is, he always loves to have his way. But BCCI officials have, of late, been exerting pressure on him through the selectors. He was reluctant to change the batting order against Australia and wanted Irfan Pathan to continue batting at No 3.

It seems that it was under pressure that he asked Dinesh Mongia to take up the vital batting position. Chappell felt that after the good start from Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, Pathan could have been better utilised through a hard-hitting knock.

As if to prove him right, Mongia failed at No 3 and the run rate too dipped after his exit.

Chappell had also fought for the inclusion of Sreesanth in the Champions Trophy team, but he was not considered. And when Sreesanth was recalled for the match against Australia, he took the two important wickets of Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting. After this, Chappell is understood to have hit out at the selectors' misjudgment.

Mumbai bias

It is being said that Chappell was not really in favour of selecting Mongia even for the South Africa tour. Incidentally, the e-mail sent from the BCCI office to journalists had only 15 names. Mongia was included as 16th man at the last moment. Chappell believes that Mongia is neither a complete batsman nor a bowler. Chappell is said to be peeved by the demand from different zones to select their players. It seems that chairman Dilip Vengsarkar, who hails from Mumbai, was keen on selecting Wasim Jaffer from his state over the in-form Gautam Gambir of Delhi.

Soon after Chappell left, rumours started flying around that he had quit. Quoting an Australian newspaper, an Indian news agency also filed a report stating that BCCI has decided to part ways with Chappell after the World cup.

The news even surprised the Punjab Cricket Association officials. "When the contract between Chappell and India is valid only till the World Cup, where is the question of parting?" asked an official.