Reuters

Mumbai, Apr 23: Sunil Gavaskar has blamed former India coach Greg Chappell for the team's downfall and questioned the logic of the board offering him the post of consultant of the National Cricket Academy.

"It's never easy sacking somebody, however incapable and inefficient he/she may be," the former India skipper said in his syndicated column on Sunday.

"But to give another job and that too one which deals with the future of Indian cricket after the mess the present of Indian cricket has been landed into, makes one wonder if we will ever get out of the inferior complex syndrome," he said.

India exited in the first round of the World Cup after losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and former Australia captain Chappell resigned in the wake of the debacle, weeks before the end of his two-year contract.

"When Greg Chappell took over as coach of the Indian team, Indian cricket was poised to take the big step forward.

"There was optimism all around and a palpable confidence that Indian cricket would be ready to challenge Australia for the title of the best team in the world," Gavaskar wrote.

"Instead, at the end of his tenure, Indian cricket is down in the dumps with a first-round exit in the World Cup, and is fractured and divided as seldom before."

India is currently placed sixth in the ICC one-day rankings and fourth in the test rankings.

"Some of the most promising talent, as recognised by the ICC Cricket voting panel, has lost its way and nobody of any note has come through during this period.

"The batting, which should have flourished under the guidance of someone recognised as one of the game's best batsmen, has looked tentative and unsure and has lost the spark that made India's cricket team such a must-see for cricket lovers.

"Despite all this and him saying in a press interview that BCCI is run like Zimbabwe, the BCCI is reportedly offering him a place as a consultant to the National Cricket Academy."

Meanwhile, Australian media has reported that Chappell is a leading candidate to fill the Australian Cricket Academy head coach role vacated by new national coach Tim Nielsen.

"If true, then it could be the best thing that has happened for world cricket. Now even Ireland has a chance beating Australia sooner rather than later," Gavaskar said.