 Chappell supports cricket board president Pawar's move |
India coach Greg Chappell has given his support to deals for more regular games against Australia and England. India's cricket board has agreed to host Australia for three successive years from 2007, and will now play Tests against England every two years.
"Without getting into the politics, I've been watching with interest and I'm not unhappy with what I see.
"What we saw in the Ashes - the intense interest around the world - is good for cricket," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
Former Aussie captain Chappell says Australia are still the best team but believes there is more strength in depth now than during most of their years of dominance.
Speaking on the Sportsweek programme, he added: "I still think despite the Ashes loss that Australia consistently is the best team going around.
"But England, Pakistan, India, even South Africa, are closing the gap on Australia and that's good for cricket."
 |  India are the big beast of cricket and everyone is frightened |
Australia have won the last two one-day World Cups and have been top of the ICC Test Championship since it became official in 2001.
India's board of control, under new president Sharad Pawar, announced last week that Ricky Ponting's side would visit for one-day series in 2007 and '09 and a Test series in 2008.
It is also to introduce an Ashes-style four-year home-and-away Test series cycle with England, beginning in 2007, and hold annual one-dayers against Pakistan at neutral venues.
But the new regime has postponed a series against New Zealand planned for 2007 and threatened not to take part in the 2008 ICC Champions Trophy.
Those threats prompted a warning from world cricket's governing body that India is contractually obliged to take part in its future tours programme.
Former England captain Michael Atherton says world cricket must not allow itself to be pushed around by India.
"India are the big beast of cricket and everyone is frightened," he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.
"Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, found himself being bullied by a superpower. He needs to stand his ground and we need to support him."
Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah and marketing committee member IS Bindra met Speed in Dubai on Sunday.
"This was about letting them understand the development plans of the ICC. It was nothing more than a briefing," said ICC spokesman Jon Long.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
