Rahul Dravid Told Greg Chappell That Sourav Ganguly Could Not Be Dropped: BCCI Joint Secretary

The spat between Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly and India coach Greg Chappell in 2005 has been the most controversial event in the history of Indian cricket. During India's tour to Zimbabwe, Ganguly and Chappell had clashed and the ramifications for Indian cricket would prove to be huge. Ganguly, who was struggling for runs, was dropped after the end of the tour and Rahul Dravid was appointed as skipper. (Sourav Ganguly Says Rahul Dravid Could Not Control Greg Chappell)

Now, after 10 years, the details of the clash between Chappell and Ganguly have come out in the open. Joint Secretary of the BCCI, Amitabh Choudhary, who was the team manager on that tour, revealed all the details while addressing a forum at Xavier Institute of Social Service. (Harbhajan Singh says Greg Chappell Wanted to Get Rid of Ganguly)

In a report in a national daily, Choudhary said that the first signs of trouble came during the training session before the first Test in Bulawayo. (Greg Chappell Took Indian Cricket Backwards)

"The skipper left training midway and returned to the empty dressing room. He came back and threw himself on to a chair, visibly disgusted. I asked him what happened. Pointing at Chappell, who was on the ground overseeing the net session, Ganguly said, 'That guy's crazy.' Then he told what Chappell had just said," he stated. (Tendulkar Claims Untrue: Chappell)

Choudhary said that the situation had turned volatile and he sought to pacify Ganguly. "I had a chat with his deputy Rahul Dravid. Then we walked up to the coach to tell him that dropping the skipper was beyond his jurisdiction," he added.

Although India won the Test series 2-0, the Ganguly-Chappell spat blighted Indian cricket for a couple of years. Following the spat, relations between Chappell and the Indian public deteriorated and after India's first-round exit from the 2007 World Cup, Chappell was sacked as the coach.