Dravid fits the bill but…

Former national captain Rahul Dravid is on a familiar turf and this is largely expected to hold him in good stead as he takes up the double responsibility of coaching the India ‘A’ and Under-19 cricket teams. On the face of it, this is certainly a step in the right direction because ‘The Wall’ knows the intricacies of the assignment and the expectations of the people besides which he is the right man for the right job.

Dravid himself has expressed his avowed quest to shape the future of Indian cricket by knitting together ‘a much superior’ Under-19 team. The appointment is timed perfectly considering that India is the defending champion in the Under-19 World Cup and the next edition is slated for next year. Dravid is a proven commodity and he has his task cut out.

As the batting consultant for Team India ahead of its English tour and as mentor of Rajasthan Royals, he won laurels for his no-nonsensical and business-like approach to the job. Although, Dravid has the experience to survive the challenges and pass on the baton to the next generation of players, his supporters, by and large, are failing to see the larger picture, which does not bode well in the long run.

The man is perhaps going by his gut-feeling, which reportedly vetoed any plans to join the BCCI Advisory panel, a vacancy that was eventually filled up by VVS Laxman. Being the gentleman that he is, Dravid may not have aired his apparent unease being in the company of Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar, while hinting that he preferred to have a hands-on job and one that entailed lesser travel.

However, what is a matter of concern is the grotesque way BCCI is treating the retired cricketers. Under any yardstick, Dravid has been a bigger match-winner than someone of the calibre of Ravi Shastri, whose clout is increasing on the administration front. Board Secretary Anurag Thakur has been reiterating that they believe in hiring a number of coaches, trainers and physios.

It is good but why should someone like Dravid be entrusted with the dual responsibility of coaching India ‘A’ team, which will mostly comprise of Test discards on the comeback trail? If the colts will genuinely look up to Dravid as a ‘guru’, India ‘A’ players will give a damn to Dravid’s reputation or pearls of wisdom.

When the national team can have a jumbo-sized coaches’ set-up, why not one exclusively for India ‘A’? This is where Dravid has been given a raw deal, the repercussions of which will be exposed when he starts training the big boys from India ‘A’. He is too humble to react to the tantrums of the India rejects. The other veterans have smartly avoided the ‘opportunity’ to coach the India ‘A’ team. Left alone with Under-19 team, Dravid can indeed produce a world-class team.