MUMBAI, 7 April 2007 — Former Indian cricket team’s coach Greg Chappell walked out of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) meeting which began here yesterday after presenting his report on the debacle of the Indian cricket team in the ongoing World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.

The BCCI had called for a special meeting to discuss and debate on the dismal performance and defeat of the Indian team and to chalk out future plans.

The meeting was attended by BCCI President Sharad Pawar, coach Greg Chappell, team manager Sanjay Jagdale, and chairman of the selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar.

The members discussed the report of Chappell and Jagdale.

Star batsman Sachin Tedndulkar, who was expected to join the meeting, however abstained.

Stepping out of the board meeting at the Wankhede Stadium, Chappell waved to the waiting hordes of mediapersons and acknowledged their greetings. Chappell was to leave for Singapore last night, and after spending some days there, fly to Australia.

According to sources, Chappell, in his report to the BCCI, has partly accepted the blame for the Indian cricket team’s debacle.

Pawar is said to have praised Chappell for his professional approach as coach and thanked him for his tenure with the BCCI. Sources also said that Pawar has offered Chappell the post of consultant in the National Cricket Academy.

Meanwhile, India’s cricket chiefs dismissed media speculation that Chappell would be persuaded to stay on as coach despite the World Cup debacle, saying the Australian’s tenure was over.

“Greg Chappell is no more the coach,” the secretary of the BCCI Niranjan Shah told reporters midway during the two-day review of the team’s performance.

“But he could be associated with Indian cricket in future as a consultant to groom youngsters,” he said, adding “as a coach Chappell admitted that he felt he too was partly responsible for the team’s failure. He emphasized the need to promote youngsters and concentrate on fitness and strength for the team to do well in fielding and running between the wickets.”

Chappell’s decision to leave came amid speculation of a rift with senior players, prompting superstar Sachin Tendulkar to go on record that he would be “hurt if the coach questioned his commitment.” The review began with Chappell, captain Rahul Dravid and team manager Sanjay Jagdale appraising BCCI chief Sharad Pawar and other officials on why India were eliminated in the first round.

Chappell in his report, Shah said, had confined himself to issues and did not make reference to individual players.

Jagdale in his report presented to the BCCI had stated that there was all-round failure and the team had to shoulder the blame for the defeat because it did not play well. He opined that the youngsters should be inducted to improve the standard of the game of cricket.

The 1983 champions and finalists in 2003 were stunned by Bangladesh in their first match and then lost to Sri Lanka to bow out of the tournament in the preliminary stage.

Dravid also accepted responsibility for the early World Cup exit, said Shah.

“Dravid felt the team had left for the World Cup with high hopes but failed to perform well,” the BCCI secretary said.

Chairman of the Selection Committee Dilip Vengsarkar also told that the team did not perform to potential. He suggested that the BCCI should strengthen domestic cricket and create a pool of 25-30 cricketers from which the Indian team could be selected.

— With input from agency