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MUMBAI - Indian coach Greg Chappell handed in his resignation today, two days before the Indian cricket board meet to analyse the team's poor World Cup performance in the Caribbean.
"Today I informed the president of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) that I would
not seek an extension to my contract to coach the Indian cricket team for family and personal reasons," Chappell said.
The Australian's two-year contract was due to expire at the end of this month.
"Chappell's contract is over, it was until the World Cup," board president Sharad Pawar said in New Delhi, acknowledging that the board had received the Chappell resignation via email.
Chappell, 58, took up the post in 2005, succeeding New Zealander John Wright, with an eye on success at this year's World Cup but India suffered a shock first-round exit last month at the showpiece event in the Caribbean, losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
"Firstly, I would like to extend my thanks to the BCCI for allowing me the honour of coaching the Indian cricket team over the past 22 months. It is, and it remains, one of the most challenging coaching positions in world cricket," Chappell said.
"I am grateful to the players with whom I have worked in this time for the challenges that they presented me with and which I tried to meet in a professional, methodical and interesting way in the interests of the team and the individual.
"I would like to make special mention of my support staff without whom I would not have survived the rigours of the past 22 months.
"The people of India deserve a special mention as they are the ones whose attention, enthusiasm and love and support drive the great game, and business, of cricket in this country, and around the world."
The former Australian captain's tenure with India yielded mixed results since taking over in May, 2005, from Wright, who served as India's first foreign coach for almost five years.
A 1-0 test series victory last year in the Caribbean -- their first in 35 years -- was one of the high points.
But the failure to qualify for the semifinals of the Champions Trophy as hosts last year and the disappointment of a first-round exit from the World Cup has not gone down well with cricket-crazy India.
India notched a record 17 consecutive one-day victories when batting second under his reign but the team's inability to perform away from home saw them end with a record of 32 wins against 27 defeats, with three no results.
One particular sore point was that the batsmen failed to complete the full 50 overs in 12 of 17 one-dayers away from home.
India 's test record during the period was only slightly better, winning seven, drawing seven and losing four.
Chappell's relationships within the dressing room were bumpy, too, with a public spat with skipper Saurav Ganguly just months into his job leading to the left-hander batsman's axing.
Ganguly later returned and was one of India's few successes at the World Cup.
Leading Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar also reacted angrily to Chappell questioning the attitude of senior players at the World Cup and his comments set off a national debate.
- REUTERS