Rahul Dravid declines to take up Indian coaching role

Rahul Dravid

Indian cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar, in a bid to make Team India competitive in the cricket arena again, had asked Rahul Dravid to take up the role of Indian coach, but the former Indian captain has refused to commit himself to the role citing ‘time constraint’ as the reason.

“I am happy that he [Gavaskar] said I am capable of doing the job. But the job requires a lot of time, almost 11 months a year. I have just retired and at the moment because of time constraints, I have to decline [the suggestion],” said Dravid.

Earlier, Gavaskar, scathing in his criticism of the incumbent Indian coach Duncan Fletcher, had said: “For me, Duncan Fletcher would get 1.5 in a scale of 10 as far as his success is concerned. I believe a younger guy should be appointed as the coach of the Indian team. Rahul Dravid is one man who is enormously respected and was a successful captain, having won series in West Indies and England. When he speaks, the Indian players, some of whom are superstars, listen to him as they know how much preparation went into his game.” [Read more about it here.]

The 41-year-old former Indian Test no. 3 remained open about his future career options, though.

He said: “I am going to perform a different role (mentor) for Rajasthan Royals this year in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Who knows what lies in store in the future.”

Dravid was also against bringing major changes to the set-up with the World Cup in a year’s time: “With the World Cup less than a year away I don’t think there would be any changes in the support staff of the team. Ideally, they should be given a four-year period to change things. There is no point of changing the leadership ahead of the World Cup.”