Rahul Dravid insists coaching youth was primary post-retirement goal
Former Indian Captain Rahul Dravid who is currently the head coach of India Under-19 and India ‘A' cricket team, stated that mentorship of young cricketers is the most pleasing of all the things he has done since his international retirement in 2012.
In a recent interview the 42-year old said "It's been it a great journey - fun, exciting, and enjoyable. Of all the things I've done since I retired two-three years ago, I think coaching has been the most satisfying. It gives me a chance to work in an environment that I'm comfortable in and also get to see what the next generation is like and what kind of talent is coming through."
The former India wicket-keeper, who was the mentor of the now suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) team Rajasthan Royals for two years will be coaching the ICC U-19 World Cup kicks-off in Bangladesh on Januray 27. Dravid termed his coaching journey as "exciting" and "fun", and said he has full faith in his players to do well in the tournament.
This Indian U-19 team has great potential: Dravid
Dravid added, "Everyone in the U-19 team is talented. You don't become an India U-19 player in this kind of environment, with so much competition and so many kids playing the game without being talented. Each one of the 30 that was shortlisted at one point of time has great potential.”
He said "Which one of them will go on to play for India is hard to tell, because this is the start of their journey. There are a lot of steps to taken from here. Everyone will face challenges. They all have an equal chance to play for India and each of them is a talented and exciting player."
India, have been drawn in Group D alongside Australia, New Zealand and Nepal. However, Australia has decided to pull out of the tournament due to safety concerns.
Dravid, said his focus is more on the process than the results. He said, "I'm not necessarily focusing so much on the result. We've played well in the two tournaments in the lead-up to the World Cup, so yes, I'm relatively confident. However, it's about the process and hopefully about playing good cricket and learning. I think the process, the whole thing about U-19 cricket should be to learn, grow and improve as cricketers. If we keep doing that, and play well, we'll end up with the right kind of result.”