Chappell's Middle Finger Sparks Controversy
Independent Online, South Africa
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New Delhi(India):
Television footage showing national coach Greg Chappell making a gesture with his middle finger to hostile cricket fans has triggered a furor in India.
Amid a barrage of critical slogans from Indian cricket fans blaming the coach for the ousting of former captain Sourav Ganguly from the squad, Chappell was caught by television cameras showing his finger from the team bus in the eastern city of Calcutta, news media reported on Saturday.
Chappell's gesture has drawn an angry response from Calcutta's politicians and other prominent personalities."Chappell fingers a row," said a front-page headline in the Hindustan Times newspaper, which also carried a picture showing a finger thrust out of the bus window that it said was Chappell's.
The newspaper said the controversy had taken the attention away from India's humiliating 10-wicket defeat by South Africa in Friday's limited-overs international.Former Australia captain Chappell and Ganguly were involved in a public spat last month after an email from Chappell to the cricket board criticising the then-captain was leaked to the media .Ganguly was later dropped from India's one-day team for 12 limited-overs internationals against Sri Lanka and South Africa. The last of these games will be played on Monday.
Calcutta's Aakash Bangla television channel said Chappell made the finger gesture late on Thursday evening when the Indian team was returning from practice and several fans were hold slogans written in Bangla language that translated to "Down with Chappell."
Nov 26 2005
Independent Online, South Africa
__________________________
New Delhi(India):
Television footage showing national coach Greg Chappell making a gesture with his middle finger to hostile cricket fans has triggered a furor in India.
Amid a barrage of critical slogans from Indian cricket fans blaming the coach for the ousting of former captain Sourav Ganguly from the squad, Chappell was caught by television cameras showing his finger from the team bus in the eastern city of Calcutta, news media reported on Saturday.
Chappell's gesture has drawn an angry response from Calcutta's politicians and other prominent personalities."Chappell fingers a row," said a front-page headline in the Hindustan Times newspaper, which also carried a picture showing a finger thrust out of the bus window that it said was Chappell's.
The newspaper said the controversy had taken the attention away from India's humiliating 10-wicket defeat by South Africa in Friday's limited-overs international.Former Australia captain Chappell and Ganguly were involved in a public spat last month after an email from Chappell to the cricket board criticising the then-captain was leaked to the media .Ganguly was later dropped from India's one-day team for 12 limited-overs internationals against Sri Lanka and South Africa. The last of these games will be played on Monday.
Calcutta's Aakash Bangla television channel said Chappell made the finger gesture late on Thursday evening when the Indian team was returning from practice and several fans were hold slogans written in Bangla language that translated to "Down with Chappell."
Nov 26 2005
