BCCI has big plans for Rahul Dravid: Reports

Rahul Dravid

It is only after Rahul Dravid refused to take up the role of a team director that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri for the post, reports confirm. However, it is understood that both sides remain open for a long-term commitment, which could start from the upcoming home series against West Indies. 

The Indian Express quoted a BCCI official as saying, “We have big plans for Rahul. We want him to be the permanent mentor of the Indian team. He understands these players like nobody else and the players respect him also. We will ask him to take up the role during the home series against West Indies and also when the team travels to Australia for the Test series.”

Fletcher failed to motivate?

With the board sending in an influx of Indian coaching staff after “dropping” head coach Duncan Fletcher’s hand-picked bowling and fielding coaches Joe Dawes and Trevor Penney, the BCCI official said that the Zimbabwean is expected to resign after the limited overs leg of the England tour.

The BCCI official further said: “Fletcher himself has to decide what his future will be. He is a professional and we are paying him a good amount. So it is natural to expect big results from him. We don’t doubt his cricketing knowledge but we need someone who can also communicate well with the boys and also motivate them to become mentally tougher. We have options when it comes to appointing new coaching staff. Enough feelers have been sent to Fletcher in the last meeting and the BCCI will be expecting him to resign after England tour.” 

Dravid is currently associated with the Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals, and any role he takes up with the national team on a long term basis will mean that he is most likely to come out of his other commitments, which includes commentary, as well.