ICC
Annual Conference – Dubai, UAE
A Balance Has To Be Made…Rahul Dravid
By John L. Aaron in Dubai, UAE
Dubai: Friday, July 4, 2008 – Former India Test captain and
only the third Indian batsman to have scored 10,000 runs in Test cricket,
speaking at the Members Forum during the International Cricket Council’s
Annual Conference now being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, said
there has to be a balance made between the volume of cricket being
played in the current three formats (Test, ODI and Twenty20), in the
interest of sustainability of the top players. The very articulate
and prolific batsman resigned as India’s captain last September.
John Aaron (left) poses with Indian batting star Rahul Dravid
during the ICC Conference in Dubai, UAE |
His remarks were
made in response to ICC’s Media Manager Brian Murgatroyd question
of how does he (Dravid) balance cricket and his personal life. The
35 year-old cricket star said that there are only 365 days in a year
and managing one’s performance is paramount to maintaining the
quality output at the international levels.
The right-handed batsman nicknamed The Wall (presumably by opposing
bowlers) for his defiant presence at the crease currently plays in
all three formats of the game and is considered one of the premier
cricketers around the world. He has over 10,000 runs in both Test
and ODI matches and has played on several teams outside of his native
India, where he is revered on the same platform as Sachin Tendulkar
and former India great Sunil Gavaskar. Dravid has played in Scotland,
Kent and the ICC World XI and recently was the icon player and captain
of the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Cricket League.
The very affable batsman sees a World Test Championship as a favorable
concept that if promoted will see the top two or three teams playing
for something greater than what is derived under the current nation
versus nation Test series. He added that if would make every game
more meaningful.
On the recently concluded IPL Twenty20 tournament, the Bollywood-looking
cricketer said that it was a phenomenal six weeks, adding that the
quality of the cricket was beautiful and exciting. “It was particularly
exciting for me to share a dressing room with players from other countries
and cultures,” adding that it broke down several barriers. He
however hastened to add that he still enjoys the longer version of
the game and enjoys playing Test cricket, which he hopes will never
fade away.
Next year Sri Lanka and India will be the first two Test-playing nations
to embrace an expanded role of technology in the decision-making process
of the game, and Rahul Dravid said that he was quite excited by the
prospects and was looking forward to it easing tensions in the game.
He added that he endorses whatever helps to advance the quality of
the game, and with a playful tone added “Now we will know how
many times the umpires get it right or wrong. It’s worth a try.”
John
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