The usually unflappable Rahul Dravid lost his cool today when asked to comment on a leaked report by Chetan Desai, the manager of the Indian team on the tour of South Africa, that claimed that Greg Chappell and Virender Sehwag had had a spat ahead of the Durban Test.
A television channel had quoted Desai's confidential report to the Indian board - which the Board today said it had not yet received - as claiming that an argument took place between Chappell and Sehwag when the latter refused to attend a special practice session on the eve of the second Test at Durban.
I've not read the report, but to be honest, there's no problem in the team. I think it's important to put it in perspective and understand things," Dravid snapped when asked about the story in the press conference ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Kolkata tomorrow. "I'm being asked questions and being asked my views on a report given by someone who, when I last looked at the history of Indian cricket, I didn't necessarily see his name featuring very prominently," said Dravid of Desai, who is the honorary secretary of the Goa Cricket Association.
Having made the sharp comment, Dravid, who usually does not get into controversies of any kind, pressed on.
"When I'm asked a question regarding comments or opinions of people, I would expect you to ask me questions about people who have at least played the game and have some standing in the game and been involved with the game in some capacity," he said. "Anyone's entitled to give an opinion, anyone's entitled to file reports but me commenting on that - I think you know I will comment on it only if its worthy of my comment."
At the same time, Dravid neither denied nor concurred with the contents of the said report. The news story alleged that Desai's report, while speaking in broad terms on Sehwag's indiscipline, also referred to Dravid backing Sehwag's inclusion - in the face of near-unanimous opposition - in the side for the second Test .
The Indian board (BCCI) has come to the defense of Chetan Desai, the manager of the Indian team on the tour of South Africa, and said that it would seek an explanation from Rahul Dravid for his outburst against Desai.
Desai had come under a scathing attack from Dravid for his tour report which criticised the selection of an out-of-form Virender Sehwag and an unfit Munaf Patel for the series-deciding Test at Cape Town which India lost.
"We would like to talk to Dravid and find out the exact situation in which he has been reported to have said these words," said Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary. "Chetan Desai was the manager on the tour and as per tradition he filed his report after the team's return. And he has not said anything about his [Dravid's] abilities as a player in the report. The report is with Mr Sharad Pawar [BCCI president] and after he reads it he will give us guidelines on what to do."
Dravid's outburst
