Tendulkar has spoken by name but note how he talks only of his reputation being affronted by Chappell's comment on his attitude. 'No coach has ever reported even in passing that my attitude was not correct', he says.
Well, well, well. Didn't Tendulkar plainly sulk on our last tour of Pakistan when Rahul Dravid declared the team's innings closed even as Tendulkar was just a few runs short of another double century? Didn't he tell the media that he was surprised at the timing of Dravid's declaration? Wasn't that 'attitude'?
Was it correct? If coach John Wright didn't write about in his tour report that may well because he's too much of a gentleman. Or he may well have reported it but the dossier was overlooked because we won the series.
Again, this season before the World Cup, when Chappell had made it clear that Tendulkar would bat in the middle order so that he could hold the innings together for the full 50 overs, Tendulkar did not hesitate to tell the media that he preferred to bat as an opener. Was that 'attitude' correct?
