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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Dave Whatmore vs Graham Ford

Dave Whatmore and Graham Ford, contenders for India cricket coach
I have this sneaking feeling that Graham Ford is going to make it. If there is a celebrity management or a PR agency handling the Ford show, they are making an excellent job of 'unleashing' him in just the optimum amount. Refreshingly different from the chief contender, Dave Whatmore's approach.

The current Bangladesh coach had all the right credentials, but his approach has been wrong, time and again. First, the Indian board was not impressed when he announced his interest in the plum assignment, a bit pre-maturedly. Neither was his own team, which genuinely felt betrayed. Imagine your team's coach announcing his interest in taking up another assignment in the middle of a most important series, this one being the World Cup. Recently too, he made a case for himself even while his team was battling it out against the very team Whatmore was so keen to coach.

Indians, by their very nature have an affinity for a gentler approach compared to a more aggressive one. More so when we just had a successful example set by the gentle Wright immediately followed by the disaster called Greg Chappell. Mr. Ford seems to have taken a cue from there.

As the Indian players seem to be advocating the idea of a foreign coach ( four senior members of the Indian team met the BCCI President apprising him of their views on the matter of the coach), it's likely that the final battle will be between Ford and Whatmore. Though the Aussie looks ahead at the moment, Ford is sneaking in through the back door. Whatmore, who was trying to barge in through the front gate may be in for a late surprise !

1 comment:

itinerant said...

Bajaj, This Bishan Singh Bedi and Gavaskar thing is pretty explosive. I have been abusing Gavasakar for a while now in his, I am the boss and the boss is always right manner.

Give us some dope, pls.