Chappell 'took Indian cricket backwards' - Laxman

Former India batsman VVS Laxman has backed up Sachin Tendulkar's criticism of the way Greg Chappell treated senior players during his tenure as coach between 2005 and 2007, saying he "took Indian cricket backwards."

In his autobiography Playing It My Way, Tendulkar had claimed Chappell made a veiled threat about dropping Laxman when the batsmen said he did not want to open the innings. "This happened in 2006 at the Wankhede Stadium when India were playing England," Laxman told NDTV. "Yuvraj Singh was picked ahead of me and five bowlers were fielded. We were going to the West Indies for a four-Test series after that and he asked me if I would open.

"I mentioned that back in 2000, I had decided I would not open anymore after it didn't work for me in the first four years. I was consistent in the middle order. Chappell asked me my age and said - Don't you think 31 is too young an age to sit at home? I had a very good run under him. I was the second highest run-scorer under him."

Laxman said the team environment created by Chappell was poor. "In 2006, it was the worst dressing-room I was part of," he said. "I have played under various coaches and captains for 16 years but that year was the worst atmosphere in a dressing-room.

"More than anything else, it was very evident that there was an attempt to create a rift. A cricket team is like a family and there is no point in creating a divide between seniors and juniors. It was very unfortunate. The seniors felt very insecure. We never understood why Chappell thought that way when the seniors were playing well."