Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell thinks banning Steve Smith and David Warner is a good decision by Cricket Australia. Aussies will face India later this year and Chappell thinks the home crowd would have made it tough for the duo to step into the field amid of heavy booing.
Both the cricketers are banned for next one year. Smith won't be considered for the leadership role in next two years.
India is set to play four Tests and a limited overs series in Australia starting from last week of November 2018.
"Cricket Australia got it right. They have done Smith and Warner a big favor. Because imagine if Smith and Warner are playing next summer in Australia against India, they are going to get booed at some of the Australian grounds, probably all of the Australian grounds," Chappell said.
He thinks being called as cheats is the worst thing in Australia. "But the worst name you can have in Australia is being a cheat. So they (would have) got booed, which would not have done a lot for their confidence but also would not have done a lot for the image of the game," the former skipper added.
"When you have got a former Australia captain and vice-captain being booed by their own crowds, that wouldn't have been great for Cricket Australia's image," Chappell opined.
"So I think it is better that they (Smith and Warner) are not playing next summer, better for the players, better for Cricket Australia's image. It would be (in any case) hard for them to come back from (it)," the 74-year-old former cricketer said.
Chappell doubts Warner's appearance in the baggy green again. "They have been looking for a reason to get rid of Warner because he was outspoken during the (pay) dispute. So he may not be back. Smith will be back but he may not captain Australia again," Chappell said.
India have never won a Test series in Australia in 70 years and they won't get a better chance than this to win their maiden Test series, says Chappell.
"I will predict an Indian victory in the Test series (in Australia). I don't know (whether) India will win comfortably but India will win. Certainly, this is India's best opportunity ever to win a series in Australia. Australia still will be hard to beat because they have got a very good bowling attack," he said.
"If you have a good bowling attack, that's the hardest part of the game. To get 20 wickets. Australian bowling attack will have to think like former West Indies legend Andy Roberts. Andy used to say that 'it doesn't matter what the opposition bowls out us at, we will bowl out them for less'. The Australian bowling attack will do well to think along those lines," he added.
Chappell backs the aggressive mindset of India's head coach Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli. He thinks they have an identical mindset which works in favor of India.
"Ravi is the right person to be with Kohli. Kohli is a pretty aggressive thinker on his own but Ravi is also aggressive. As a captain (during his limited tenure in ODIs and single Test), Ravi used to be an aggressive thinker. His thoughts were aggressive and winning about the game, and Kohli is very much in that mould. Ravi is the perfect guy to combine with Kohli," he added.
Taking the opportunity, Chappell also clarified that Sourav Ganguly's latest book 'A Century Is Not Enough' has "inaccurate facts" attributed in his name.
In Ganguly's semi-autobiographical book, there is a reference that the oldest of the Chappell brothers had suggested former BCCI president late Jagmohan Dalmiya against appointing his younger brother Greg as India's head coach back in 2005. Ian disagrees with it.
