Coming out strongly in support of Sachin Tendulkar in his criticism of Greg Chappell, former India cricketer VVS Laxman today said the dressing room atmosphere during the Aussie's two-year tenure as national team coach was the "worst".
Reacting to a series of startling allegations Sachin Tendulkar made in his autobiography Playing it my Way, Laxman said he totally believed in what the iconic batsman had written in his book.
"I think 2006 was a very tough period for Indian cricket. The dressing room atmosphere was probably the worst. I remember in 2006 when I was added for the last one day game in South Africa and then for the Test series. I remember when I went to South Africa, it was probably the most negative dressing room I have come across. There was a lot of tension within the dressing room and it was unnecessary.
"There was a divide created between the seniors and juniors. I always believed that cricket team is like a family. When you represent the country, when you are out there in middle, you don't work as an individual, but as a team, as a unit. It does not matter that you are a senior or junior. You always help each other and you admire each other," Laxman told reporters here.
"Credit to John Wright, before Greg Chappell and after Gregg Chappell, Gary Kirsten, that they created team environment where we were always able to play with a free mind and we have always done well. It was unfortunate that the kind of environment was created which was uncalled for," he said.
