COACH TALK

Players have been given enough exposure to grow: Dravid

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

"There is technical advice, and that's a process as well, we have that in our camps and at various stages throughout the year" - Dravid © Getty

Rahul Dravid, the head coach of India's Under 19 set-up, said that his side was ready for the challenges ahead of the Under-19 World Cup, scheduled to begin on January 13 in New Zealand. He added that the members of the side have been given enough exposure and opportunities to grow in their roles before the tournament.

"It's been good (the preparations). We started the process almost a year ago in terms of identifying a core group of 35-40 kids that we wanted to give exposure to. We've had a few series, a couple of Asia Cups where we've had the opportunity to see a large group of talent, and just in the build up to this tournament as well they've been playing a lot of domestic Under 19 cricket as well.

"We've been here for a week before the start of the tournament, played three good games against Central Districts. We feel happy and we feel that we've given the boys enough exposure and opportunities to grow," he was quoted as saying by ICC's official website.

Dravid also termed the chance to be a part of the Under -19 World Cup as an 'invaluable' experience. The legendary batsman didn't play the Under-19 World Cup as there was a gap of 10 years between the first event held in 1988 and the next one in 1998. Incidentally, Dravid represented the India Under-19 set-up during the early 1990s.

"We never played this tournament in my day! After 1988 they didn't hold the tournament for 10 years, so I've no exposure of playing and being part of this tournament. I tell a lot of these boys that I think it's a terrific opportunity for them to be a part of this tournament. Irrespective of if we win or lose, I think just to be part of it and experience it all is something that's invaluable for them at this stage in their careers," he said.

The former Indian captain also observed that his role as the coach of the side is to improve the 'mental and technical skills' of the players. "They are really at an exciting age in their careers, the opportunities ahead of them are exciting and the future for them is bright, but there's also a lot of uncertainty and doubt at this kind of age.

"So a lot of it is about having conversations around the mental side of the game, sharing some of my experiences of what it felt like to be a young cricketer at this stage of my career, and I think that's the part that I find quite exciting, because having been through some of that myself it's nice for me to just to share my experiences with them and some of the things that I've learned over the last 20-25 years. There is technical advice, and that's a process as well, we have that in our camps and at various stages throughout the year," he added.

The 'Wall of Indian cricket' who played 164 Tests and 344 ODIs, also spoke about the disappointment of India losing the final of the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2016. India, who were ruthless in the group stage, lost to West Indies by five wickets in the final in Mirpur.

"I think just the experience of playing in Bangladesh is from our perspective more important than the actual winning and losing. Yes it would have been nice to win and we played very good cricket until then and had a disappointing final, but the West Indies played better than us and deserved to win, and there's no shame in that. But I think we see this as more than just that.

"From our perspective while it would be nice to win I think the more matches we play in these conditions, and outside of the subcontinent itself, is a rare opportunity for a lot of these kids. I think what we learn out of this tournament is invaluable whether we win or lose," he added.

Offering a penetrative analysis about his coaching responsibilities, Dravid mentioned that there's 'obvious talent' in the group and underscored the importance of guiding promising players coming through the ranks.

"My job is to look after India Under 19s and also India A, and we see that as a really good pathway process in terms of some of these boys hopefully going on to represent India A in a few years time. It's an exciting age to be a part of and I've really enjoyed being part of it and just putting some structures in place and ensuring that we give enough opportunities to a lot of young players at this age," he noted.

When asked about particular individuals who have the potential to make an impact in the forthcoming tournament, he said: "We don't like to focus too much on the individuals. We believe we've got a very good squad together and the opportunities for us to play well as a team are there. We've been playing some very good cricket of late, so rather than focusing on individuals and naming a few people, at this age we really believe that every one of these kids is talented and they've got the ability to go on and do well in this tournament, and not only in this tournament but also to go on and play professional cricket and do well there.

"I think the quicker you start learning about yourself and how you tick, and the quicker you start taking responsibility for the way you carry yourself as a professional cricketer both on and off the field, the better. If you want to be a successful cricketer you need to figure out yourself, both on and off the field," he concluded.

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