‘Officially a joke’: Ian Chappell attacks leadership of Cricket Australia
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has launched a stinging attack on the leadership of Cricket Australia, accusing administrators of leaving players to "cop it in the neck" after the ball tampering scandal.
In an interview with 7.30, Chappell also said Cricket Australia did not understand the game "at the highest level".
The report into the performance of Cricket Australia, handed down on Monday, found the organisation was perceived as "arrogant and controlling" and that players lived in a "gilded bubble".
"I can understand the feeling of arrogance," Chappell told 7.30.
"A lot of the people I deal with at Cricket Australia are good people and very helpful, but I've seen the arrogant side of it."
Chappell said he thought Cricket Australia chairman David Peever would "struggle to change".
"Didn't he say the buck stops with me? I seem to recall hearing that or reading that somewhere. I mean if the buck stopped with him, he'd be gone," Chappell said.
"When the fiasco in Cape Town occurred I said if it's only three people — being Smith, Warner and Bancroft — if only three get it in the neck then it's a joke. Well, I think it's now officially a joke.
"Quite rightly the players are going to be angry about that, the fact it's only them who copped it in the neck.
"But that's the history of the game. The administrators make the mistake, the players cop the punishment.
"If things are going astray on the field they are usually going astray off the field. And I think they've been going astray for a while."
Chappell said the biggest problem, in his opinion, was that "the people on the board don't understand the game of cricket at the highest level", or "how you go about playing and winning at the highest level".
"I had to deal with them for about four and a half years when I was captain and I was glad to get out. I don't think they were running it very well then and I don't think much has changed.
"All decisions seem to be made according to the bottom line. I would love to hear the words, 'We're making this move in the best interests of the game'. You just don't hear it."
Watch Leigh Sales interview Ian Chappell tonight on 7.30.
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