Chappell saga continues

Sydney: Former India cricket coach Greg Chappell on Tuesday vehemently denied Sachin Tendulkar’s claims that the former Australian great tried to have the captain removed ahead of the 2007 World Cup.In his autobiography “Playing It My Way”, extracts of which were released on Monday, Tendulkar says Chappell wanted the incumbent Rahul Dravid removed as captain ahead of the tournament and asked him to take over.

Chappell, who coached India between 2005 and 2007, rubbished Tendulkar’s claim, saying he “never contemplated” such a move.“The claims made in Sachin’s new book were brought to my attention earlier today,” the former Australian captain said in a statement posted on the Cricket Australia website.“Whilst I don’t propose to get into a war of words, I can state quite clearly that during my time as Indian coach I never contemplated Sachin replacing Rahul Dravid as captain.

“I was therefore very surprised to read the claims made in the book.”In the book, to be released worldwide on Thursday, Tendulkar says Chappell visited him at home a few months before the showpiece event in the Caribbean and suggested that hebecome the captain. Chappell disputed this on Tuesday, saying he had visited the master batsman only once 12 months before the incident was supposed to have taken place.

Chappell said he went to Tendulkar’s home with a physio and assistant coach during the Indian master’s rehabilitation from injury.“We enjoyed a pleasant afternoon together but the subject of captaincy was never raised,” Chappell said. In the book, Tendulkar describes Chappell as a “ringmaster who imposed his ideas on the players without showing any signs of being concerned about whether they felt comfortable or not”.