Nov 6, 2006: Another Champions Trophy final. This time between Australia and West Indies. No prizes for guessing who will be the winner. Of course, there can always be an upset. Precisely the reason why Australia has never ever won this ‘mini world cup’.

Champions Trophy is definitely a more suitable name because over the years teams haven’t taken it that seriously. There was one edition where Australia chose to have a mini vacation even in the midst of the tournament when there was a gap after a match. That perhaps shows how keen they were about the tournament.

This time, however, they look hungrier to win the cup and the loss in one of the games to New Zealand may just work as a timely wake-up call. Predictably, clamour about Greg Chappell not being able to come up with “miracles” has already started. If there was anything surprising, it is that the debate took some time to start. If you go by past experience, it will reach a crescendo with the World Cup in West Indies next year. If the team fares dismally, and going by recent examples, there are no indications to assume otherwise, then we will have a new coach if not a new captain also. What might come to the rescue of Rahul Dravid may be the TINA (There Is No Alternative) factor. But Greg will be shown the door if we don’t come up with a decent performance.

One of the earliest to criticise the ‘firangi’ coach was Madan Lal, himself a former coach. If this writer may be allowed to be a little incharitable, Lal was easily one of the worst coaches India ever had. If he was at best a bits and pieces player, he was even more of a bits and pieces coach. He was always eager to sound and feel patriotic but that is rarely enough or necessary. Why Madan Lal can’t stand Greg or his modern ways is too obvious to need recounting.

The latest to join the anti-Greg bandwagon is Mohammed Azharuddin, who took the Aussie to task for too much ‘experimentation’. I don’t intend to go into either Azhar’s credentials or his right to make such comments. Let the administrators in the BCCI and the ICC first reach some sort of consensus over it. But Greg should understand that when he draws such a big salary and a bigger fan following, he should be prepared for this kind of thing. There are too many people in India and abroad waiting to grab his chair and this is a game that he may just be a little unfamiliar playing.

But then, is the coach responsible for his team’s defeat? Yes. Just the same way as a captain is. I asked this question of David Lloyd soon after he was sacked as England coach after yet another poor showing. “100 per cent,” he said. One day later, he joined a TV company as one of the expert commentators. So, Greg can take heart. He can soon join his brother Ian and will have loads of valuable experience to share with cricket viewers around the world even if he loses his job. Not convinced? Look at John Wright. And look at Sourav Ganguly.