Mumbai/Nagpur: Rahul Dravid has always tried to stay as much away as possible from controversies, and if reports are to believed, the omission of his name from BCCI’s high-profile Cricket Advisory Committee is because he isn’t comfortable working with his former captain Sourav Ganguly.
On Monday, Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman agreed BCCI’s offer to become advisors to the board’s cricketing matters, but what raised eyebrows was Dravid’s name not being part of the announcement after initial reports suggested BCCI was keen on roping him as well.
“It seems he [Dravid] isn’t comfortable working with Sourav. That’s why his name isn’t on the list [of advisory committee],” a BCCI official told Hindustan Times. “A cricketer like him wouldn’t want to be involved in a battle of egos.”
The report further said that Dravid, who is currently working as mentor for IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, too was offered the role by the BCCI but chose to turn it down.
Ganguly and Dravid made their debuts in the same Test match at Lord’s in 1996, and both went on to lead India; however, Ganguly’s name is right up there in the list of most successful India captains overseas. While Dravid did lead India to a famous Test series win in England, he was also at the helm when India made a forgettable first-round exit from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.
There was speculation that the board might consider Dravid’s name for coach, but the HT report casts a serious doubt over that possibility.
“Now that this committee has finally been formed, things [finding new India coach] could take a while,” the BCCI source further went on to add when asked about the appointment of Duncan Fletcher’s replacement.
