The hitman cometh(-worma)

Ok..the title is needlessly provocative :-)...but this interview of Chappell in today's Hindu is, amongst the spate of interviews and soundbites he's been delivering off late, the most straight-forward one devoid of any buzzwords(not necessarily hollow, but still getting a bit cliched) like 'flexibility' and 'experimentation' and 'process'.

Here he speaks without frills...as this part about Saurav

He wants to play cricket for India. I want to be a good coach. And I want to be the coach of a good Indian team. But for that to happen, you need to have the group that blends well.

This does make the whole equation simple, doesn't it. Choosing the best possible player to get good results for India, and, consequently, for him (as a coach of the team). Anyone fitting in that profile would/should be welcome from his side. Simple.

Also speaks candidly about himself, responding to the 'hitlist' accusations

I don't have that much clout. I have earned a certain amount of respect over the years, from my playing days. There are a lot of things I don't have control over.

And more importantly, about how he views his job as a coach

It's about having the courage of my conviction to say what needs to be said knowing that it could well harm a relationship. If I have to do my job properly, I have to make the tough call from time to time. The biggest part of coaching is observation — observing what is happening, observing how people respond to different situations. Every situation is different and responses vary

Quite a good interview, this one, in the sense that it gives an insight into the personality of the man..as a coach.