New Delhi:The latest to hit the ongoing Cricket World Cup is the Sachin-Chappell faisco with many legends of the game here expressing shock and dismay over the growing rift between the two greats.

Although most of them have stayed away from directly commenting on the messy affair but after the Woolmer episode, Sachin-Chappell rift has filled up the void left behind by the Woolmer's fading story.

''I have gone through the reports in the media and I am actually surprised. Both are great cricketers and both are committed to the game of cricket. There is something terribly wrong,'' said former Pakistani skipper Rameez Raza.

His comments are echoed by another former West Indies paceman Ian Bishop.

He too believes that there is some kind of communication gap between the two. ''I think this is the time to bury all these and rebuild the team.

''Afterall the Indian team is great team and they had just one bad day against Bangladesh. It happens in all sports,'' he said.

Here in the Caribbean both have great admirers but there is no doubting Tendulkar's committment.

Ask Barry Richards, and he would vouch for the little Master.

''There is no question about his commitment. He has not been in the best of form these days but he is not doing badly either. Perhaps the injury had hit him badly,'' he says.

He was also amazed by Chappell's charge that senior players had dominated over the junior players.

When the contents of Tendulkar's statement was relayed to many former cricket stars who are in Guyana, they stayed away from making any comments but all admitted that Tendulkar's commitment could not be questioned. ''Why don't you look at the energy he showed while even bowling or even throwing from the deep? This is terrible,'' said Aamir Sohail, summing up that India would bounce back with a vengenance.

Paani sar se ooncha... In a move that could have a large bearing on the immediate future of Indian cricket, Tendulkar has revealed that India's cricketers would be most disappointed with coach Greg Chappell if he questioned their attitude.

In a rare public outburst, Tendulkar, expressed his anguish, saying ''Paani sar se ooncha ho gaya hai (Things have gone a bit too far to keep quiet). I've given my heart and my soul for 17 years. No coach had mentioned even in passing that my attitude was not correct.'' The news spread like wild fire and did not too long to reach the shores of the Caribbean.

''Cricket has been my life for all these years and will always be,'' said the man considered for long as a national treasure.

His statements came in the wake of reports that some senior members in the team have rallied together against Chappell and want Tendulkar to take up their case to the Board.

''Tell me, the world has gone on talking about all this (our defeat and exit) but has anybody spared a thought for us?,'' asked an emotional Tendulkar.

Tendulkar said he had not felt so shattered throughout his entire career over the early ouster from the event.

Jumbo hits out at Greg: Meanwhile veteran spinner Anil Kumble made a scathing attack on Greg Chappell and criticised his style of coaching, saying it might have given birth to insecurity among team members.

While talking to NDTV, Kumble said, ''Probably his approach to his job have created insecurity among players. But that is his style. That is the way he has approached his job in India''

The champion spinner who has just announced his retirement from the shorter version of the game after returning from India's aweful outing at the Caribbean criticised the media for creating speculative stories and said there has been a lot of media speculation going on after the World Cup debacle and the focus on the Indian cricket team per se has also increased now with more television channels than two years ago when John Wright was the coach.

However, Kumble was of hopeful of a clear picture of events once the BCCI review meeting on Team India's World Cup performnace takes place on April 6 and 7 in Mumbai.

''Things will be a lot more clear once the Working Committee meeting happens,'' he said.

Agencies

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