Senior-junior rift cost us the World Cup: Chappell

The rift between senior and junior players in the team was a major reason behind India's poor show in the World Cup, said Greg Chappell in his yet to be submitted report to the Indian cricket board.

"The senior-junior rift in the team cost us the World Cup. The rift was reported to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) but they never took it seriously," Chappell is supposed to have said in his report, according to TV news channel Headlines Today Thursday.

The 58-year-old Australian, who quit from the post of India coach Wednesday, didn't name any individual in his report but said that the players didn't meet the desired fitness level.

India suffered a shocking first round exit from the World Cup after they lost two of their three group matches to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Chappell will be submitting his report Friday to the BCCI in its two-day special review meeting, to introspect the team's debacle in the World Cup, in Mumbai.

Along with Chappell, team manager Sanjay Jagdale will also submit his report on the World Cup to board president Sharad Pawar.

The former Australian captain, who took over the post in 2005, also said that the selection process was flawed and that he wanted former chairman of the selection committee Kiran More to continue.

It has been reported that Chappell had some differences with some of the senior players in the team like Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan, who were dropped from the side.

But the duo paved their way back into the side after former captain Dilip Vengsarkar took over as the chairman of the board's selection committee.

Chappell, without naming Vengsarkar, said in his report that the selection process was flawed and that it had lack of vision and planning.

On Friday morning, the BCCI office-bearers - or the top nine officials - will meet Chappell, captain Rahul Dravid, Vengsarkar and Jagdale.

Sachin Tendulkar has also been asked to appear before its special review meeting Friday and speak in the presence of the former coach.

This development takes place after Tendulkar hit out at the comments attributed to Chappell Wednesday, on the attitude of some of the senior team members after India suffered a first round exit from the World Cup, saying "I'm shattered beyond words".

"I've given my heart and my soul for 17 years. No coach had mentioned even in passing that my attitude was not correct. Cricket has been my life for all these years and will always be," Tendulkar was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

After lunch Friday, the nine BCCI officials - Pawar, five vice-presidents, secretary Niranjan Shah, joint secretary M.P. Pandove and treasurer N. Srinivasan - will meet among themselves.

On Saturday morning, the BCCI working committee will meet. At this conclave, the office bearers - read Pawar - will apprise the panel members of the discussions held with Chappell, Dravid, Jagdale, Vengsarkar and others.

During Chappell's stint, India played 62 one-day internationals, winning 32 and losing 27. Three matches ended in no result. In Tests India did better. They played 18 matches, won seven, lost four and drew seven.

Indo-Asian News Service (IANS)

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