"He would have been one of the best coaches" - Former Team India star on what went wrong during Greg Chappell era

Irfan Pathan believes former Australia captain Greg Chappell could have been one of India's greatest cricket coaches had he adapted to the country's culture. He revealed that Chappell got overly aggressive at times, which created a feeling of insecurity within the dressing room.

Chappell's tenure as the head coach lasted from May 2005 to March 2007. The controversial stint included a big conflict with then-skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Irfan recently recalled how Chappell's ruthless approach backfired. Speaking in an interview on 'The Lallantop', the cricketer-turned-commentator said:

"His approach was to give the same amount of respect to both senior and junior players. That was his method. However, he got a bit aggressive at times while doing that. He used to always talk like this (hand gesture), saying, 'If you don't perform, you will be dropped from the team.' That was his style of communication, irrespective of the player he was talking to."

Irfan also disclosed that he once confronted Chappell and tried to make him understand what he was doing wrong.

"When I realized that he had become a little aggressive, I told him that I wanted to talk to him. I asked him to send Ian Frazer away because I wanted to speak with him. I told him that all of us know we will get dropped if we don't perform; he didn't need to tell us that. But there was insecurity within the team because of that. He got a little upset but said, 'What you're saying is right. I might have been a bit more aggressive.' I said, 'Don't do that'

"I think if he had done that one thing (adapt to the Indian culture), he would have been one of the best coaches," he added.

Chappell's tenure ended with India's heartbreaking group-stage exit at the 2007 ODI World Cup.

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"He could have been a great leader for India" - Irfan Pathan praises Sachin Tendulkar's leadership

Irfan Pathan further stated that legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar had the potential of becoming a great captain. He suggested that the 'Master Blaster' didn't have a good team when he was appointed as the captain for the first time.

Speaking on the same interview, Irfan said:

"He could have been a great leader for India, but he didn't get a good team. It was a transitional period, and things were quite different. He would have been a fantastic captain, and I think we missed out on Sachin Tendulkar, the captain. When he speaks, you realize that he has a different vision."

Tendulkar captained India in 25 Tests and 73 ODIs. Under his leadership, the side claimed 4 Test victories and 23 ODI wins.