By IANS,
Melbourne : Greg Chappell is willing to slip some of the secrets from his experience of coaching India to prepare Australia’s defence of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the upcoming Test series next month.
The Australian team will play four Tests in India and Chappell will pass on his inputs on the Indian team and conditions to coach Tim Nielsen and captain Ricky Ponting, who will be in charge of a relatively inexperienced team following a string of retirements in recent years.
Chappell was appointed coach of Cricket Australia’s (CA) Centre of Excellence in Brisbane Wednesday and his two-year coaching stint with India will come in handy for Ponting.
“My experience there (India) obviously will help planning for the sort of conditions and the type of cricket they should plan to play. In the end, Tim and Ricky and others will decide but I can certainly give them some input,” Chappell was quoted as saying in The Australian Thursday.
Australia will leave for India on Sep 21, a week earlier than originally planned after the postponement of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Their preparation will begin at RCA’s academy in Jaipur where Chappell will share his experience.
Chappell had a tumultuous rein as coach of the Indian team which finally ended after the team’s disastrous performance in 2007 World Cup in Caribbean. Chappell was then roped in as consultant in RCA’s academy.
Despite Chappell now helping Australia to retain one of cricket’s most sought after trophies, he believes his history with Australia and involvement in India will help cement ties between the game’s superpowers.
“It cements an ongoing relationship for Australian cricket,” Chappell said.
Chappell believes cricket has entered a new phase after the success of IPL.
“The game has been turned on its head in recent times with Twenty20 cricket and the success of IPL. I think we need to have a look at a whole range of issues, not least how coaching has to adapt to changes. I see that as an exciting part of it.”
Chappell said his time in India will not only help the current team but the next generation of young players who come through the Centre of Excellence.
“India is now the epicentre of cricket and therefore having had that experience will help me in preparing players for what the future holds,” he said.
“A big part of that will be in India and the subcontinent. I would expect Australian teams to go more regularly to that part of the world and Australian players going individually to the IPL. I think the experience I have had in India will help me greatly.”