As an avid fan of Indian cricket and Sachin Tendulkar I can humbly put forth my view on the great batsman. Unlike Ian Chappell, who should keep his advice to himself and continue doing what he is best at, commentating. Who gave him the right to say Tendulkar should retire? If I read between the lines, I can deduce something sinister.

After almost three years of coaching India, Chappell has fallen flat on his face. His methods did not work. He is an utter failure as the coach. Under him the Indian cricket team virtually disintegrated. He fanned the flames of rebellion when Sourav Ganguly was the captain and succeeded in kicking him out of  the team.

He got his man in Rahul Dravid to follow his commands to the letter. He got Zaheer Khan out. He confused Irfan Pathan and made him a zombie. He backed non-performers like Mohammed Kaif and Suresh Raina at the cost of Venugopal Rao. If he had given Rao half the chance he gave to Kaif, Raina and Sehwag, Rao would have established himself. Venu is a very talented cricketer.

He finished off Anil Kumble, who was banished from one-day cricket. Now Kumble has announced his retirement from that form of the game. He was sidelined with tacit support from his so-called friend Dravid. Chappell almost finished Ganguly also. But the Bengali Tiger is more than what he anticipated and he had the guts and will-power to overcome Chappell. Dinesh Karthik is good. But saying he is captaincy material is absurd. I think Chappell Junior has some grouse against Mahinder Singh Dhoni.

Dravid is a good man and a great batsman but the problem is one that I call a 'colonial hangover'. Whatever the white man says should be right. Whatever he says is wisdom. Dravid speaking his mother tongue Kannada is degrading to him.

Chappell Junior is supposed to have sent an SMS to a now extinct cricket writer called Rajan Bala about his dissatisfaction about the team. And what was his grouse?  That Raina should have been selected, with an average of around 17 in his last ten ODIs? And Chappell complained that Yuvraj Singh was behaving like a star. But he is a star. Come on, Greg!

The question is does he deliver or not? Nine times out of ten he does. You say the selection of Yuvi was against your wish. But Yuvi was one of a very few who have redeemed themselves during our disastrous 2007 World Cup saga.

No matter what happens, you will be paid off and will go back to Australia to write a book and make more money. But what about Indian cricket? You don't care.

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