I have nothing against foreign coach - Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian captain who is on the seven-man panel that will decide India's next coach, has clarified that he wasn't against having a foreigner as the coach of the national team.

Gavaskar had a while back pointed out in a newspaper column that Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh captain, hadn't received enough tactical help from the think-tank during the recent home series against India, a statement that seemed to hint at his disapproval of Whatmore.

However, Gavaskar, 58, denied any such disapproval and said that his decision with regard to India's next coach would be in keeping with the team's interests. "If I was anti-foreigner, how did Greg Chappell become coach? It was a unanimous decision (in 2005)," he told Mid-Day, a Mumbai-based tabloid.

He reiterated that he would attend Monday evening's meeting to select the coach with an open mind, and maintained that the thoughts put forth in his columns didn't translate into rejecting anyone as a coaching candidate.

"I am open to all kinds of discussion and anyone who makes a valid point will win the day. Ultimately, we have to do what we believe - rightly or wrongly - is best for Indian cricket. Don't I have a right to express myself in my columns? Isn't that what I am expected to do as a columnist?

"I made the observation that Bashar did not always get the tactical input he should have. How does that statement translate into disapproving of Whatmore as coach? If people want to read between the lines, then good luck to them. I have expressed my views strictly as a columnist."

He also explained what transpired at the coach-selection meeting in 2005. "We discussed the pros and cons of the candidates that were invited for the interview. Venkat spoke about Tom Moody, Ravi mentioned Greg Chappell and I spoke about Mohinder Amarnath and Desmond Haynes. If Venkat had talked about the pros and cons of Mohinder, I would have talked about the pros and cons of Moody.

"There was no particular reason for us speaking about A or B. We spoke because we had to discuss all the candidates. We as former players expressed our views and then it was up to the Board. Hands went up and Chappell was chosen unanimously as coach. So where is the issue?"