Beleaguered coach Greg Chappell was not happy with the composition of the Indian team for the World Cup, it was revealed on Tuesday.

Before leaving for the West Indies, Chappell, in an SMS to an Indian journalist, claimed that senior players in the side resisted the inclusion of younger players and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar sided with the seniors fearing a media backlash in case the young guns failed to fire.

• Exclusive: The Greg Chappell interview

"Even in the last selection meeting, I fought for youth. The senior players fought against it and the chairman went with them out of fear of media, if youth did not perform," Chappell wrote in his SMS.

This message was sent to the writer on the morning of the fourth one-day international against Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam on February 17.

In the same SMS, the Australian observed young stumper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has leadership material.

"Karthik will be a very good batsman and by the way, he is a potential leader. You are also very right about Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh]," Chappell said.

The coach was referring to an article by the journalist in which he had not been very complimentary about Yuvraj Singh.

The writer had written: "He might or might not develop to be the country's best future batsman, but let it be known that the possibility of his not being fully fit during the World Cup can not be discounted. It is a risk that is being taken.

"The problem with Yuvraj is that he believes he is a star when he is only a rising one."

Chappell had also confided with the writer that "Suresh Raina is a must. But he was not wanted."