Irfan Pathan, the former Indian all-rounder, recently told a story about Greg Chappell, the former coach and Australian cricket legend. Chappell’s time coaching Team India was rocky, starting with Sourav Ganguly’s dismissal as captain and ending with India’s early exit from the 2007 ODI World Cup. Chappell was known for being strict, which often drew flak.

Irfan, whose career improved under Chappell, supported his coaching approach, although he admitted it was different from the usual Indian style.

Irfan said Chappell treated all players equally, but his direct style didn’t always work well with the Indian players.

He treated seniors and juniors the same, which meant he could be a bit too harsh. He’d tell anyone that if they didn’t do well, they’d be benched. I thought it was too much, so I spoke to him about it privately, Irfan said on the Lallantop.

I told him we already knew about the possibility of being dropped and that he didn’t need to keep reminding us. It created insecurity in the team. He was quiet for a moment, got a little angry, and said a few choice words, but then he understood I was right, he added.

Irfan also said that Chappell could have been a very good coach if he had respected the Indian team’s culture.

If I coach in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or England, I need to accept their culture for the players to accept me. Greg Chappell’s intentions were good, but he wanted to introduce an Australian culture. He wanted us to play tough cricket and didn’t consider anyone’s background. But there’s a better way to do it, Irfan said.

I played for Middlesex County Cricket Club. You play a four-day match, then drive the next day. Before the match, everyone meets at a bar. I don’t drink, but I accept their culture. You’re part of the team, so you fit in. If Chappell had understood that one thing, he would have been one of the best coaches, he added.