Now that the damage has been done it can be told. Greg Chappell was unhappy with the selection of the World Cup squad.

With their being an increasing demand for his head after the debacle in Port of Spain (long touted as India’s favourite venue in the Caribbean), Chappell need not be saved.

It is up to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to renew his contract. The chances are it might. There has to be more than one scapegoat so that public anger is assuaged. On February 16, after an article of mine appeared in this and our sister paper, Deccan Chronicle, Greg sent me a SMS, which I am reproducing for the sake of the public. “Excellent article. Almost spot on. Even to the last selection meeting. I fought for youth. The senior players fought against it and the chairman went with them out of fear of media, if youth didn’t perform. Kartik will be a very good batsman and by the way is a potential leader. You are very right about Yuvi. Regards, Greg.” It was the morning of the ODI against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam. The time the SMS was received — 08.16.31.

For those who did not read the article, it would be helpful for their comprehension of the situation in a context.

As far as Dinesh Karthik is concerned, I had hinted he should not be taken as a second wicketkeeper, implying he be should taken as a batsman and called as such. Hence Greg’s explanation.

About Yuvraj Singh I had written, “For heaven’s sake, let nobody consider Yuvraj Singh as a future captain. He might or might not develop to be the country’s best future batsman, but let it be known that the possibility of his not being fully fit during the World Cup cannot be discounted, It is a risk that is being taken. The problem with Yuvraj is that he believes he is a star when he is only a rising one.”

I spoke with Greg immediately after receiving the SMS and he had other things to say. “Suresh Raina is a must. But he was not wanted.” There were statements which cannot be revealed even at this stage. The fact is Greg sounded very disappointed and probably even disillusioned.

The elevation of Sachin Tendulkar as vice-captain seemed to be the handiwork of people wanting to undermine Rahul Dravid’s authority.

How can anyone forget that it was the same man who abdicated the captaincy in 2000 and paved the way for the entry of Sourav Ganguly. Has it anything to do with the fact that the president of the BCCI and the chairman of the selection committee are from Tendulkar’s city?

Many questions can be asked and it is important that these are asked now. Greg himself feels a “thorough investigation” is called for and hinted that there are issues in Indian cricket which run deeper. It is logical that any panel constituted to make the investigation, necessarily has to be independent.

So there is the truth of how it went all very wrong, even before the Indian squad departed for the World Cup in the Caribbean.