Rahul Dravid is not one make to loose statements in public, especially if it’s a controversial subject. He is a man who is as reputed for his considered opinion as he was for his impeccable forward defence – it’s not easy to go past either.
So when he was asked about his thoughts on how Anil Kumble’s glorious year with the Indian cricket team as head coach came to an inglorious end, Dravid’s response was measured and diplomatic.
“At the end of the day, I don’t know the specifics of that particular issue, but it shouldn’t have got played out in the way that it did,” Dravid said in an interaction with journalists Prem Panicker and Rajdeep Sardesai in Bangalore.
“I think the whole thing got played out in the media which is very, very unfortunate for Anil and not fair on him at all. So, what’s the reality of it and what happens behind closed doors is not something I’m privy to, so I can’t comment directly.
“But it was definitely an unfortunate episode, especially to someone like Anil who has been an absolute legend of the game, someone who has done more to win Test matches for India than anybody I know. And he had a successful year as coach as well. But the fact is that it should never have played out they way that it did, publicly.”
Dravid also went on to elaborate that, even if it was unfortunate, it is undeniable that players hold more sway in the dressing room than the coach and that’s been the case always.
“See, coaches get sacked,” he said. “The first thing you know when you stop playing and become a coach is that some day you are going to get sacked. That’s the reality. As an India A and Under-19 coach, I know that someday I’m going to get the boot.
“Some football managers get sacked after two games, so that’s the reality. Players are more powerful than coaches, we know that because we were more powerful than coaches when we played.”
Dravid also spoke out against the sentiment that players today have become too big for their own good, given a supremo sort of status. The former captain was quick to point out that the cricketers are what they are today because of the money that’s been pumped into the game and the media and journalists, in turn, use the popularity of the sport and the athletes to make more money and it’s a cycle that is just a sign of the times we live in.
Kohli’s attitude
Dravid also spoke about cricketers have to be authentic to their own self and not try to imitate the attitude of someone else. Every cricketer has his own strengths, and it is important for them to stay true to it. He said more than aggression cricket is always about performance and what gets the best out of one cricketer need not necessarily work for another. He explained his point of view using Kohli’s aggressive attitude as an example.
“The in-your-face aggression works for Virat and you can look at his performance. People ask me why I didn’t behave like Virat when I played for India,” Dravid said. “I would have been inauthentic to myself had I gotten tattoos and behaved like Virat. Sometimes, before an Australia series, Virat says the most outrageous things. I read it in the newspaper and cringe. But then, I feel that he wants that tough contest, and wants that lip on the field, because it gets the best out of him.
“You can’t blame him, because it works so very well for him. But that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Ajinkya Rahane, for example, is very different. What worries me is that a lot of young kids tend to copy Virat, without realising that they are not being authentic to who they really are.”
“What worries me a little bit is a lot of that gets translated into junior cricket,” Dravid added. “That’s the scary thing for me, not so much what Virat does. Kids at 12, 13, 14 want to become the next Virat Kohli, not realising that maybe that’s not authentic to who they are.”
Watch the full interview here: