India's coach Greg Chappell ... faces an uncertain future after the team's performance at the World Cup.- Reuters

MUMBAI, India, (Reuters):

GREG CHAPPELL'S future as India coach was under the spotlight yesterday after the team's disastrous World Cup campaign in the Caribbean.

The former Australia captain's two-year term comes up for renewal in May and with India all but crashing out of the World Cup on Friday, his chances of extending that contract appears to be very slim.

"Our agreement with the coach is until the World Cup, so that agreement is over. The board will decide on the future course of action," Indian board president Sharad Pawar said.

A senior board official who did not want to be named said: "Greg was to discuss his future with Sharad Pawar during the Super Eights. But following the exit ... there is a lot of time to think about the future."

India, beaten by Sri Lanka on Friday, lost two of their three group matches in Trinidad and their slender hopes of progressing to the next stage hinge on the unlikely defeat of Bangladesh by debutants Bermuda.

Ample time to decide

With India's next international assignment in May (tour of Bangladesh), the board has ample time to decide on a coach.

Runners-up to Australia in the 2003 edition, India were touted favourites back home and expected to progress at least to the semi-finals.

Defeats by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have resulted in pressure mounting on the board to make large-scale changes to the struggling team, dubbed as 'Dad's Army' by the media for containing a number of ageing players.

Failure to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy as hosts last year and the predicament of a first-round exit from the World Cup has not gone down well with cricket-crazy India.

"You cannot live down this World Cup exit in a long time," the official said.