IND vs WI 2022: "Can I buy you a cup of coffee and ask you some questions" - Paddy Upton recalls first interaction with Rahul Dravid
Paddy Upton has joined Team India as a mental conditioning coach amid the ongoing West Indies series. He recently disclosed details about a conversation he had with a young Rahul Dravid during India's South Africa tour in 1996.
In a video shared by the BCCI on social media, Upton spoke about how Rahul Dravid had called him in 1996 when he was a part of South Africa's team management.
Upton revealed that the Indian batter offered to buy him a cup of coffee as he wanted to discuss a few topics. He explained how the two had spoken about everything from cricket to spirituality.
The 53-year-old suggested that the Team India head coach is still very eager to learn about various issues. Upton stated:
"If I reflect on my relationship with Rahul Dravid, it was in 1996 when I was with the South African team as a strength and conditioning coach. A young Indian cricketer phoned me on the tour to South Africa and said, 'Can I buy you a cup of coffee and ask you some questions?'
"His name was Rahul Dravid. He's always been someone who's got such a hunger to learn, not just around cricket, he's a professor when it comes to cricket but about life and everything beyond cricket. We've been in conversations about cricket, life, spirituality and everything else literally since 1996."
He further stated that the two would continue their discussions after he joined the Indian team management in 2008 during Gary Kirsten's tenure as the head coach. Upton mentioned that he is hopeful of contributing to the success of the Indian side alongside Rahul Dravid and added:
"We picked up again when I joined the Indian team with Gary Kirsten. So, it's a conversation that I've been in for a long time. It's exciting now to have those conversations literally every day, and hopefully, they can go somewhere towards helping this Indian team set up for an unbelievable T20 World Cup campaign."
#WIvIND.@PaddyUpton1 is back with #TeamIndia as mental conditioning coach. 👍 👍
Here's what he had to say about his role with the team & his bond with Head Coach Rahul Dravid as he begins his stint with the team. 👌 👌 - By @28anand
Watch 🎥 🔽 #WIvIND https://t.co/IYU8pCEKQj
It is worth mentioning that Upton was a key part of the team management when India won the 2011 World Cup. He has been roped in again in a similar capacity ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 and will be working under Rahul Dravid.
"He's quite familiar with a lot of the Indian players" - Rahul Dravid on Paddy Upton's appointment
Speaking in the video, Rahul Dravid highlighted how Paddy Upton has worked with several Indian players in the past. He stated the South African is a good fit for the side as he is aware of how they function. Dravid explained:
"In terms of being an international team and traveling as international players, we do understand the mental side of the game is really important. We are lucky to get someone like Paddy on board.
"He has had the experience of being with the Indian team before. Most importantly, he's quite familiar with a lot of the Indian players and has worked with them either at the IPL or with the Indian team before."
Dravid added:
"He's quite familiar with the function and with the way the Indian team functions, so it seems like a really good fit for us to get (him) on board and to be able to tap into his knowledge and his experience as we look to build a team into the World Cup."
India will take on West Indies in the third and final ODI of their three-match series on Wednesday (July 27). The match is a dead rubber as the visitors have already pocketed the series by winning the first two fixtures.
Reactions from the dugout and change room as @akshar2026 sealed the ODI series in style 😎👏
#TeamIndia #WIvIND https://t.co/ZB8B6CMEbP
Following the completion of the 50-over matches, the sides will battle each other in five T20I games, beginning on Friday (July 29).
Can India make it to the final of the T20 World Cup 2022? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.