Sandeep Patil’s autobiography, Beyond Boundaries, was launched in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 6. The 1983 World Cup champion shares candid insights on India’s coaches since the John Wright era, stirring up some heat with his revealing perspectives. (More Cricket News)
Patil, former chairman of selectors, highlighted John Wright’s approach of empowering players as a key factor in his successful tenure with the Indian team.
According to Patil, Wright’s collaborative style contrasted sharply with the more controlling methods of later coaches like Greg Chappell and Anil Kumble, who struggled to achieve the same level of impact.
"Since 2000, India have had an array of international coaches and support staff. This has paid rich dividends, because India's overseas record has improved steadily. It all started with John Wright becoming India's first foreign coach," Patil wrote in his autobiography.
He added, "I think John was the ideal coach for India. He was soft spoken, polite, well-mannered, always kept to himself, and was happy to be in Sourav Ganguly's shadow. In addition to all that, he kept a distance from the Press. He managed that so well, that he was hardly in the news, unlike what happened in the Greg Chappell years."
Patil noted that, unlike Wright, who took time to understand the workings of Indian cricket, Chappell aimed to make changes from the very start without first familiarizing himself with the system in India.
Patil described Chappell’s coaching style as distinctly Australian, saying, "Chappell is a very strong personality; very aggressive. The moment Jagmohan Dalmiya told him he had a free hand, he believed he could change everything overnight. Wright, on the other hand, took his time, learning the system first. Chappell wanted to overhaul the entire system, the mindset, and the selection process."
After Wright led the Indian team to the finals of the 2003 ODI World Cup, there were high expectations for Chappell to build on that success. However, under Chappell's coaching, the Men in Blue faced a humiliating exit in the 2007 World Cup, eliminated in the group stage after losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Patil pointed out that Chappell’s Australian approach did not resonate with the Indian team, and the culture he tried to instill failed to take root in the Indian dressing room.
