Was it life-threatening?' Sanjay Manjrekar reveals Greg Chappell once lashed out at VVS Laxman
Greg Chappell
Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar has uncovered a fascinating incident about an Indian team coach Greg Chappell attacking VVS Laxman for selecting a substitute during a Test match.
Greg Chappell was Team India's coach from May 2005 till the 2007 World Cup, where India smashed out in the first round. This period is viewed as a dim chapter in India's cricketing history.
Portraying the occurrence encompassing Greg Chappell and VVS Laxman, which occurred during a Test match in Zimbabwe, Manjrekar reviewed:
“While a Test match was underway in Harare in Zimbabwe, Greg Chappell went for a practice session with a few substitute players. After 30-40 minutes, he was heading back to the dressing room. On the way, he saw a substitute fielder in the match dropping a catch in the slips. So the coach started wondering, why is there is a substitute on the field, and which regular has come out.” – Sanjay Manjrekar told SportsKeeda in an exclusive chat on their show 'SK Tales'.
“When he went inside, Greg Chappell saw that VVS Laxman was drinking coffee. So he got a bit angry and asked VVS, why he wasn’t on the field. Laxman replied that he had got injured, so came out of the field to apply some ice on the injured area.” – he added.
Greg Chappell had a response that staggered Laxman. Sanjay Manjrekar revealed: “An enraged Greg Chappell rebuked Laxman and asked, was it life-threatening? Laxman was absolutely shocked thinking, what is he asking? The coach further ordered him that if it is not life-threatening, never come off the field next time. Substitution is something that normally happens a lot in Indian cricket, and other teams do it as well.
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However, Greg Chappell found it unacceptable. Of course, it didn’t help that the substitute dropped a catch, and Greg Chappell ended up giving a senior player like Laxman a piece of his mind.
Sharing his contemplations on Greg Chappell, Sanjay Manjrekar believed that while he was without a doubt an incredible player, Greg Chappell's abilities in managing individuals weren't generally sufficient. Manjrekar expounded:
“Greg Chappell is a unique character - a great batsman, but he is slightly different. People still remember him in Indian cricket, as he created a lot of headlines even though he was the coach for a short period. He was good at cricket, but as a coach, he lacked good management skills and seemed like a misfit.” - he signed off.