"Failure to qualify for the Olympics is the catalyst for the change that needs to occur"

•But the pattern with which they play…

As I said it'a a bit one-dimensional. There isn't enough depth to it. There needs to be other ways of doing things.

•Are they open-minded? Are the Indian coaches open-minded? Is the India Hockey establishment open-minded when you tell them there's a need to change?

I think India has had a important part. In its history now we have had 30 years of not being in the semi-final of a major competition. That's a long period without any success really. So either you can either keep doing that what you have been doing or you can change. I think it's not a difficult question to answer. Not be a difficult thing to do.

•But when you raise that what response do you get from the hockey establishment or the powers that be here?

It's difficult because I think, at the moment, you look at Indian hockey, there's turmoil in the administration, difficult period. But I think there's an attachment to the past which is unhealthy.

•Why do you think it's unhealthy because past is what keeps us going? Nostalgia..

It's unhealthy because if you look at the past as the last 30 years, it hasn't been working. And if you look at the past as the last 80 years, there were 50 that were good….

•But that 50 you had very little competition……..

Exactly, Be a contemporary and because there are, as I said, a lot of resources in the country I just think they are poorly focused.

•So we all know there's turmoil indeed in the administartion. Until the turmoil came were you finding the system was beginning to respond to the questions you were raising? You talk straight. You're an Aussie

I'm not sure that's necessarily the Indian way. But I think my arruval signalled the fact that there was some openness.

•You know because we Indians seem to love Aussie coaches. Actually everybody seems to love aussie coaches. You are here, Greg Chapell, you played against him?

Yes

•Not with him, against him?

Yes he was south australian, I was west Australian.

•Enemies?

Yes.

•So many of the IPL teams have Australian coaches. In fact around the world it seems that Aussies make great coaches. But Aussies also talk tough and straight.

... contd.