Sunil Gavaskar slams Chappell and Wright for not backing Dravid

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has slammed former India coaches John Wright and Greg Chappell, who he felt failed to support Rahul Dravid as captain

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has slammed former India coaches John Wright and Greg Chappell, who he felt failed to support Rahul Dravid as captain.

Gavaskar was not impressed after he read excerpts of Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography Playing It My Way in which Tendulkar wrote about how Wright was quick to clarify to him in the Multan dressing room that he was not part of the decision to declare India's innings closed in the 2004 Test with Tendulkar six short of a double century.

John Wright and Greg Chappell catch up during the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean. (Inset) Sunil Gavaskar. Pic/AFP

Dravid, who led India in that Test instead of the injured Sourav Ganguly, copped plenty of criticism for 'depriving' Tendulkar of his double century.

Gavaskar wrote in Sunday mid-day: "What the (book) excerpts do show is that one of the nicest guys in world cricket, Rahul Dravid, was not given the backing that he deserved from his coaches John Wright and Greg Chappell.

"Greg Chappell’s invitation to Sachin to take over the captaincy from Dravid has been well chronicled in the media already, but the revelation that John Wright came to Sachin after the declaration at Multan and said that he was not a party to the decision does not show the Kiwi in good light.

"To do what they did behind their skipper’s back is reprehensible to say the least, just as it is when selectors come out of selection meetings and lie to the media that they were not party to a controversial selection or omission and the chairman or skipper was the one who wanted it. Spineless or back stabbers?"

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