Warner, McDonald and Nehra strengthen IPL Delhi Daredevils
New Delhi, January 23: Australia's latest sensation, David Warner, and another upcoming Australian star Andrew MacDonald have been signed up by Delhi Daredevils, it was officially announced at the end of the Trading Window, which closed on January 22.
Daredevils signed up McDonald and Warner as uncapped players, but soon after that both made their international debuts. McDonald featured in Australia's Test match victory at the SCG at the start of this month, whilst Warner made a sensational Twenty20 International debut against South Africa at the MCG last week.
Warner, 22, has since also made his one-day debut. In his T20 debut, he smashed 89 off 43 balls, in a stunning assault against the South African bowling attack. This included six sixes and seven fours.
Warner's debut has caused a sensation in Australia, and the experience is likely to stand him in good stead when he comes to India later in the year to play in the Season II of the DLF Indian Premier League.
Commenting on his upcoming debut for the Delhi Daredevils in the DLF IPL, David Warner said: "I am thrilled to be joining the Delhi Daredevils, and I can't wait to play in the IPL. My international debut has given me a taste of what it is like to score runs in front of a big crowd, and I am looking forward to more of the same in India. Playing alongside top players from all over the world like Virender Sehwag, Glen McGrath and Daniel Vettori is going to be an amazing experience."
A right-hand batsman and right-arm medium fast bowler, McDonald made his Test debut for Australia in the first week of January against South Africa. The 27-year-old player scored 15 in his only innings but took three wickets in the match as Australia won the Test.
Daredevils also got India international Ashish Nehra during the Trading Window. Nehra, who had a successful first season in IPL while playing for Mumbai, came in for Shikhar Dhawan, who moved to Mumbai Indians.
Amrit Mathur, Chief Operating Officer of the Delhi Daredevils, was excited about his new additions. "We are really delighted to have signed David . His debut game for Australia the other day has been sensational and we are hoping he will carry forward this brilliance into season 2 of the DLF IPL. We are also looking forward to having Andrew (McDonald) and Ashish (Nehra) and they will strengthen our side," he said.
The closure of the one-month long trading window on Thursday saw a total of seven players being traded. In addition to the trades, four temporary replacements from the inaugural season were re-signed by their respective franchises and three of cricket's top up-and-coming young players are now set to make their debut in the Season II of the DLF Indian Premier League.
The IPL revealed that in all there were 82 enquiries made for 54 players, with 36 enquiries coming in for the Indian players and 18 for the overseas cricketers who played the inaugural season. In all 17 players were subject to enquiries from more than one franchisee and seven players were traded.
Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner, DLF Indian Premier League commented: "I know that all the Franchises are putting in a lot of work to ensure that their playing squads are even better than last season. The second player's auction at Goa on February 6 will be an opportunity to sign some experienced internationals to complete their playing squads. Following the Goa auction I believe that we will have most of the world's top cricketers registered to play in the DLF IPL."
"I am particularly pleased to see franchises investing in the Gen-Next of World Cricket with the addition of many top young players. One of the most exciting aspects of last season was seeing some of the young players really develop and enhance their reputations – players like Yusuf Pathan, Shaun Marsh and Shikhar Dhawan. I am sure that the likes of David Warner and Ryan Harris will relish the opportunity to play in the IPL, and our crowds will love watching these young guns play some exciting cricket."
The 2009 player auction will take place in Goa on February 6, where Franchises will have the opportunity to purchase current international players to fill the remaining slots for overseas players in their squad. The Season II of the DLF Indian Premier League is set to kick off on April 10, with the final to be played on May 29, 2009.
Friday, 23 January 2009
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Sehwag leads race for 2008 Castrol Indian Cricketer Award
Mumbai, January 22: Swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag is a clear frontrunner for the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year 2008 award. He has 59 points – seven points more than his closest competitor Gautam Gambhir. The others in the race are skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma.
Sehwag has had a phenomenal year in Test cricket with a triple hundred against South Africa and a double hundred against Sri Lanka, along with some blazing starts at the top of the order in one day cricket.
Carrying on with his splendid form against the Australians in the Test series, Sehwag also came good in the one day series against England with a blistering 85 in the first game at Rajkot, propelling India to a massive total of 387/5 in their allotted 50 overs. He followed that up with knocks of 68 in Kanpur, 69 in Bangalore, and missed out on a scintillating century with 91 in the fifth game at Cuttack.
He ended the year with a blistering 83 in the second innings of the Chennai Test against England, which facilitated India's series win.
Gambhir is a close second with 52 points, after matching his opening partner's good run with scores of 51,70 and 40 in the one-dayers against England, along with a gritty century in seaming conditions in the second Test against England in Mohali.
Dhoni finished one of the most successful years by an Indian captain, with four wins in five Tests. Dhoni led from the front with sterling performances at crucial moments to take the third position with 48 points.
Two young bowlers walked away with the fourth and fifth positions with pivotal spells against the visiting English team. Harbhajan Singh kept the pressure on the Englishman with some tight spells during the one-dayers, and picked up crucial wickets during the Chennai Test, to capture 41 points.
Ishant Sharma enhanced his reputation as India's new speed sensation, spearheading the attack with 6 wickets in the two Tests against England, and holds fifth position with 37 points.
According to the awards criteria, all Indian cricketers who have played international cricket for India will now be invited to vote for their choice of the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year from amongst the top five.
The annual Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence were instituted in 1997-98. The rating system takes into account performances by Indian cricketers in Test and One-Day International matches during the calendar year. The Awards have been dominated over the last decade by Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and this is the first year when neither of the three legends -- Sachin, Rahul and Sourav -- features among the top five.
In 2008, Castrol also initiated the Castrol Asian Cricketer of the Year Award, which was won by Ganguly for 2007.
‘Tense, hard-fought’ England-West Indies series in offing
Kingston (Jamaica), January 22: West Indies head coach John Dyson is expecting “tense, hard-fought” cricket against England in the upcoming Digicel Series 2009. Dyson noted that his players will be fully prepared and ready when the first ball is bowled in the first Digicel Test Match at Sabina Park, Jamaica, on February 4.
“The much awaited home series against England should produce tense, hard-fought cricket between the two teams. England is placed two spots higher than the West Indies at Number 5 on the ICC Test table which is enough incentive to spur the West Indies team on to perform well,” Dyson said.
“The cricket loving public should be ready for some engrossing cricket. It is time for West Indies to stand up and prove that we are climbing the International Cricket Council’s [ICC] table.”
The West Indies recently returned from New Zealand where they drew the two-Test series 0-0. Dyson said he will be looking for more good performances from the experienced members of the team, in the four Test matches, on home soil.
“Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been in consistently superb form over the past 12 months and Chris Gayle is fresh from a magnificent 197 against New Zealand at Napier. Both will be keen to continue their excellent touch with the bat while Ramnaresh Sarwan, will want to make amends for a moderate tour -- by his high standards -- of New Zealand,” Dyson said. “Brendan Nash, after an excellent debut series in New Zealand , will look to build on his impressive start to Test cricket and post his first Test century. All other hopeful West Indies batsmen will be desperate to score significant runs and secure their place in the team.”
The head coach also looked at the opportunities available in the bowling department. “The bowling will again revolve around the pace of Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell. The trio is no longer a ‘rookie’ combination and big things are expected of them. Edwards had a fine series in New Zealand and returned his best ever haul of 7-87 at Napier,” Dyson said.
“His pace and controlled aggression will be important weapons in the ‘home series’ and strong support from Taylor and Powell will be required to bowl out England in the Tests. Jerome will also be aiming to build on his new ‘all-rounder’ status following his free flowing, maiden Test century at Dunedin.”
Dyson also noted that a number of other fast bowlers and seamers will be knocking at the door to “press the senior bowlers for a spot in the team”.
“The series is a further opportunity for a spinner to make a major contribution to the bowling effort. Hot competition for the spinning role exists between Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Amit Jaggernauth, Dave Mohammed and others and all should be desperately keen to impress the selectors in the regional four-day matches. Whoever is ultimately given the job must provide the wicket-taking variety West Indies need to balance the established pace attack,” he said.
ENGLAND’S FULL ITINERARY:
January 25-27: vs St Kitts XI
At Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
January 29-31: vs West Indies “A” Team
At Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
February 4-8: 1st Digicel Test
At Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica
February 13-17: 2nd Digicel Test
At Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
February 21-22: vs Barbados Cricket Association’s President’s XI
(Venue to be determined)
February 26 to March 2: 3rd Digicel Test
At Kensington Oval, Bridgetown , Barbados
March 6-10: 4th Digicel Test
At Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
March 14: vs West Indies Players Association XI
(Venue to be determined)
March 15: Digicel T20 International
At Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
March 20: 1st Digicel One-Day International
At National Stadium, Providence, Guyana
March 22: 2nd Digicel One-Day International
At National Stadium, Providence, Guyana
March 27: 3rd Digicel One-Day International
At Kensington Oval, Bridgetown , Barbados
March 29: 4th Digicel One-Day International
At Kensington Oval, Bridgetown , Barbados
April 3: 5th Digicel One-Day International
At Beausejour Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet , St Lucia
Kingston (Jamaica), January 22: West Indies head coach John Dyson is expecting “tense, hard-fought” cricket against England in the upcoming Digicel Series 2009. Dyson noted that his players will be fully prepared and ready when the first ball is bowled in the first Digicel Test Match at Sabina Park, Jamaica, on February 4.
“The much awaited home series against England should produce tense, hard-fought cricket between the two teams. England is placed two spots higher than the West Indies at Number 5 on the ICC Test table which is enough incentive to spur the West Indies team on to perform well,” Dyson said.
“The cricket loving public should be ready for some engrossing cricket. It is time for West Indies to stand up and prove that we are climbing the International Cricket Council’s [ICC] table.”
The West Indies recently returned from New Zealand where they drew the two-Test series 0-0. Dyson said he will be looking for more good performances from the experienced members of the team, in the four Test matches, on home soil.
“Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been in consistently superb form over the past 12 months and Chris Gayle is fresh from a magnificent 197 against New Zealand at Napier. Both will be keen to continue their excellent touch with the bat while Ramnaresh Sarwan, will want to make amends for a moderate tour -- by his high standards -- of New Zealand,” Dyson said. “Brendan Nash, after an excellent debut series in New Zealand , will look to build on his impressive start to Test cricket and post his first Test century. All other hopeful West Indies batsmen will be desperate to score significant runs and secure their place in the team.”
The head coach also looked at the opportunities available in the bowling department. “The bowling will again revolve around the pace of Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell. The trio is no longer a ‘rookie’ combination and big things are expected of them. Edwards had a fine series in New Zealand and returned his best ever haul of 7-87 at Napier,” Dyson said.
“His pace and controlled aggression will be important weapons in the ‘home series’ and strong support from Taylor and Powell will be required to bowl out England in the Tests. Jerome will also be aiming to build on his new ‘all-rounder’ status following his free flowing, maiden Test century at Dunedin.”
Dyson also noted that a number of other fast bowlers and seamers will be knocking at the door to “press the senior bowlers for a spot in the team”.
“The series is a further opportunity for a spinner to make a major contribution to the bowling effort. Hot competition for the spinning role exists between Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Amit Jaggernauth, Dave Mohammed and others and all should be desperately keen to impress the selectors in the regional four-day matches. Whoever is ultimately given the job must provide the wicket-taking variety West Indies need to balance the established pace attack,” he said.
ENGLAND’S FULL ITINERARY:
January 25-27: vs St Kitts XI
At Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
January 29-31: vs West Indies “A” Team
At Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
February 4-8: 1st Digicel Test
At Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica
February 13-17: 2nd Digicel Test
At Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
February 21-22: vs Barbados Cricket Association’s President’s XI
(Venue to be determined)
February 26 to March 2: 3rd Digicel Test
At Kensington Oval, Bridgetown , Barbados
March 6-10: 4th Digicel Test
At Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
March 14: vs West Indies Players Association XI
(Venue to be determined)
March 15: Digicel T20 International
At Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
March 20: 1st Digicel One-Day International
At National Stadium, Providence, Guyana
March 22: 2nd Digicel One-Day International
At National Stadium, Providence, Guyana
March 27: 3rd Digicel One-Day International
At Kensington Oval, Bridgetown , Barbados
March 29: 4th Digicel One-Day International
At Kensington Oval, Bridgetown , Barbados
April 3: 5th Digicel One-Day International
At Beausejour Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet , St Lucia
ROAD TO WORLD CUP IN ASIA
Six countries vie for two berths as they get closer to 2011 WC cricket
New Delhi: Six countries will try to take a step closer to qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 this week when they participate in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 (WCL Div. 3). But only two teams will succeed.
The tournament, being held in Buenos Aires from 24-31 January, will see host team Argentina , Afghanistan , Cayman Islands, Hong Kong , Papua New Guinea and Uganda battle it out with the finalists progressing to the 12-team World Cup Qualifier in April.
There are many rewards on offer at that event, with the top four sides winning places in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, while the top six teams will receive ODI status for the next four years as well as an automatic place in the prestigious ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10.
Much attention this week will be focussed on Afghanistan , which won both the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 and 4 events in Jersey and Tanzania to qualify for this stage. It has been a long road already but the appetite is still there to continue on their epic journey.
Fast bowler Hamid Hassan, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the WCL Div. 4, admits he and his colleagues are in confident mood ahead of the Division 3 event.
“I am very excited as we have won the last two tournaments and now I am hoping to get through to the World Cup Qualifiers. All the players are in good touch ahead of the event,” says Hamid. “I was the top wicket-taker for my team at Division 4 and I would like to win the player of the tournament at this event.”
The team, which prepared for the tournament in the past month with a training camp in Lahore , Pakistan where they received coaching from the likes of former Test player Aamer Sohail and others, is enjoying the experience of being part of the global qualifying structure for the ICC Cricket World Cup and the travel experiences that the tournament provides.
“You get to see lots of countries – I never thought I would ever get the chance to go to places like Jersey , Tanzania and Argentina . It’s like a dream because two or three years before I started playing for the national team I didn’t even play cricket,” said Hamid. “I’ve never been to South America and I think Argentina is a very nice country. It is very good conditions for playing cricket as the weather is about 35 degrees.”
The Afghanistan team, which has attracted media attention from all over the world, has also received good luck wishes from England’s Monty Panesar. The left-arm slow bowler has painful memories of a previous encounter with Hassan, who reputedly can bowl at speeds of around 140kph.
Hassan, who was part of the MCC ground staff in 2006 and 2007, had been an England net bowler when he accidentally hit Panesar on the head with a quick delivery and he was able to relive that experience with the England spinner at a chance airport meeting this week on the way to Buenos Aires.
“When we were at the airport in Johannesburg on the way to Argentina, we saw Monty Panesar. I went up to say hello to him and he said: ‘Hi, how are you?’ He didn’t know who I was and I then told him I was the bowler who hit him on the head at Lord’s two years ago and then he remembered me,” said Hamid with a smile.
“All the coaches were there, along with players like Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen, and Monty ducked into the ball and told me I had cost him £200 for a new helmet and I would have to pay. I told him I can’t afford to pay that and then he told me he was joking!
“We talked for a long time and he wished us well in qualifying for the World Cup and told me and (Mohammad) Nabi we were very talented. He asked about Afghanistan cricket, how are the grounds and he knew about the World Cup qualifying event.”
Afghanistan will face some tough competition, in what is expected to be a tightly fought tournament. Uganda and Argentina , who both won promotion from the WCL Div. 3 in May 2007 only to be relegated after the Division 2 event in Namibia six months later, are expected to be among the main contenders.
Uganda, which showed some excellent pre-event form in their warm-up series against Kenya , is arguably the favourite for the tournament and the players can rely on the experience of its South African-born coach Ebrahim Mohamed to guide them during the event, while Hamish Barton, a former first-class cricketer in New Zealand , has an important player-coach role for Argentina .
Papua New Guinea’s batsmen received excellent preparation for the event, when they formed the backbone of the ICC East-Asia Pacific team that took part in the Australian Country Cricket Championships earlier this month, and with the experience that many of them have from playing in the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup they should be a tough test for any opposition.
The potential of Cayman Islands to cause an upset should not be ignored, particularly after it recorded a crushing 108-run win over Argentina in the ICC Americas Division 1 Championship in November.
Hong Kong won the ACC Trophy Elite 2008 and also reduced Pakistan at one stage to 161-7 during last year’s Asia Cup so no team will be taking it lightly. Hong Kong is coached by former England batsman Aftab Habib and he believes his side is well placed to do well.
Aftab said: “I am very excited. It is reward for all the hard work that we have put it since I joined as coach 15 months ago. Hopefully we can perform well in the six games while we are here.
“I think we can achieve quite a lot. We are playing a higher level of cricket and having taken part in the Asia Cup last year we have the confidence to play against bigger teams.”
While the primary focus of all six teams taking part in the WCL Div. 3 is to finish in the top two at this event, the dream of playing ODI cricket and in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is a shared ambition among all the players.
“It is our dream to play a One-Day International if we qualify. I want to play international cricket so people can see the Afghan team. It would be the biggest day in my life,” said Hamid. “There are lots of Test countries I would like to play a one-day international against like India, Pakistan , South Africa , Australia and England . I would like to play against England at Lord’s and against Australia in Melbourne.”
New Delhi: Six countries will try to take a step closer to qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 this week when they participate in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 (WCL Div. 3). But only two teams will succeed.
The tournament, being held in Buenos Aires from 24-31 January, will see host team Argentina , Afghanistan , Cayman Islands, Hong Kong , Papua New Guinea and Uganda battle it out with the finalists progressing to the 12-team World Cup Qualifier in April.
There are many rewards on offer at that event, with the top four sides winning places in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, while the top six teams will receive ODI status for the next four years as well as an automatic place in the prestigious ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10.
Much attention this week will be focussed on Afghanistan , which won both the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 and 4 events in Jersey and Tanzania to qualify for this stage. It has been a long road already but the appetite is still there to continue on their epic journey.
Fast bowler Hamid Hassan, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the WCL Div. 4, admits he and his colleagues are in confident mood ahead of the Division 3 event.
“I am very excited as we have won the last two tournaments and now I am hoping to get through to the World Cup Qualifiers. All the players are in good touch ahead of the event,” says Hamid. “I was the top wicket-taker for my team at Division 4 and I would like to win the player of the tournament at this event.”
The team, which prepared for the tournament in the past month with a training camp in Lahore , Pakistan where they received coaching from the likes of former Test player Aamer Sohail and others, is enjoying the experience of being part of the global qualifying structure for the ICC Cricket World Cup and the travel experiences that the tournament provides.
“You get to see lots of countries – I never thought I would ever get the chance to go to places like Jersey , Tanzania and Argentina . It’s like a dream because two or three years before I started playing for the national team I didn’t even play cricket,” said Hamid. “I’ve never been to South America and I think Argentina is a very nice country. It is very good conditions for playing cricket as the weather is about 35 degrees.”
The Afghanistan team, which has attracted media attention from all over the world, has also received good luck wishes from England’s Monty Panesar. The left-arm slow bowler has painful memories of a previous encounter with Hassan, who reputedly can bowl at speeds of around 140kph.
Hassan, who was part of the MCC ground staff in 2006 and 2007, had been an England net bowler when he accidentally hit Panesar on the head with a quick delivery and he was able to relive that experience with the England spinner at a chance airport meeting this week on the way to Buenos Aires.
“When we were at the airport in Johannesburg on the way to Argentina, we saw Monty Panesar. I went up to say hello to him and he said: ‘Hi, how are you?’ He didn’t know who I was and I then told him I was the bowler who hit him on the head at Lord’s two years ago and then he remembered me,” said Hamid with a smile.
“All the coaches were there, along with players like Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen, and Monty ducked into the ball and told me I had cost him £200 for a new helmet and I would have to pay. I told him I can’t afford to pay that and then he told me he was joking!
“We talked for a long time and he wished us well in qualifying for the World Cup and told me and (Mohammad) Nabi we were very talented. He asked about Afghanistan cricket, how are the grounds and he knew about the World Cup qualifying event.”
Afghanistan will face some tough competition, in what is expected to be a tightly fought tournament. Uganda and Argentina , who both won promotion from the WCL Div. 3 in May 2007 only to be relegated after the Division 2 event in Namibia six months later, are expected to be among the main contenders.
Uganda, which showed some excellent pre-event form in their warm-up series against Kenya , is arguably the favourite for the tournament and the players can rely on the experience of its South African-born coach Ebrahim Mohamed to guide them during the event, while Hamish Barton, a former first-class cricketer in New Zealand , has an important player-coach role for Argentina .
Papua New Guinea’s batsmen received excellent preparation for the event, when they formed the backbone of the ICC East-Asia Pacific team that took part in the Australian Country Cricket Championships earlier this month, and with the experience that many of them have from playing in the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup they should be a tough test for any opposition.
The potential of Cayman Islands to cause an upset should not be ignored, particularly after it recorded a crushing 108-run win over Argentina in the ICC Americas Division 1 Championship in November.
Hong Kong won the ACC Trophy Elite 2008 and also reduced Pakistan at one stage to 161-7 during last year’s Asia Cup so no team will be taking it lightly. Hong Kong is coached by former England batsman Aftab Habib and he believes his side is well placed to do well.
Aftab said: “I am very excited. It is reward for all the hard work that we have put it since I joined as coach 15 months ago. Hopefully we can perform well in the six games while we are here.
“I think we can achieve quite a lot. We are playing a higher level of cricket and having taken part in the Asia Cup last year we have the confidence to play against bigger teams.”
While the primary focus of all six teams taking part in the WCL Div. 3 is to finish in the top two at this event, the dream of playing ODI cricket and in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is a shared ambition among all the players.
“It is our dream to play a One-Day International if we qualify. I want to play international cricket so people can see the Afghan team. It would be the biggest day in my life,” said Hamid. “There are lots of Test countries I would like to play a one-day international against like India, Pakistan , South Africa , Australia and England . I would like to play against England at Lord’s and against Australia in Melbourne.”
Sunday, 18 January 2009
DRAVID TURNS 36
From keeping willow in socks to reading Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
NEW DELHI: Master batsman Rahul Dravid, who turned 36 on January 11, simply loves his willow, often keeps it in socks, and gets a firm control on the bat -- and the bowling attack -- with double-barrelled gloves.
When the former India captain is not scorching the turf with polished strokes, he is immersed in books, though not necessarily on cricket or sports. For example, he read ‘The Art of War’, written by famous Chinese writer Sun Tzu, after he borrowed it from Indian envoy to Sri Lanka Nirupama Rao at her Colombo residence in 2006.
Also in the island nation, Dravid carried his prolific willow in white socks. When I asked him as to how long he has been doing this, he said he had been keeping his bats that “way for some time”.
Dravid is a batsman for all seasons, pitches, conditions and opposition. And his batting seems a natural extension of the person he is -- well read yet not arrogant, sophisticated and yet uncomplicated, down-to-earth yet assertive.
He has millions of fans but he bats with an aim not to earn praise. It is because the Bangalore-based Dravid has set for himself higher standards than his followers.
"I will be happy if I live up to my own expectations (rather than people’s)," he had told me when I interviewed him for the first time, in the huge vacant hall of the Pride Hotel in Nagpur, now the city of his in-laws, for The Asian Age newspaper in 1998.
Dravid is immensely focussed, single-minded and is always seeking perfection. He hardly ever smiles or indulges in conversations with his team mates at net practice sessions. No, not because he is arrogant or aloof, but he utilises the time to the hilt and is always seeking to remove the shortcomings, if any, in his batting.
In many ways, Dravid is like Olympic silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore -- fully devoted and focussed. And much the way the double trap shooter takes utmost care of his custom-made Perazzi, the master right-handed batsman also keeps his willow close to his chest.
A few years ago, someone had asked New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming in Mohali that if given a chance, which Indian player he would like to take from the Indian side. Without a pause, Fleming had replied: "Rahul Dravid." Just for the record, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were part of that team than also.
When Dravid was the national captain it was quite appropriate -- in a way, it was a natural extension of the cricketer. He brought dignity to the job, a gracefulness of old times that is rare in today's cutthroat competition in the commercially driven game.
Still, Dravid is businesslike, on and off the field. While his team mates may indulge in jokes and gossip while waiting for a plane, Dravid is likely to be browsing the internet or writing e-mails even at airports.
You are unlikely to find earphones permanently tucked in his ears, as is the contemporary cricketer's style. He has no hang-ups about himself; he is so confident of himself.
Dravid is a brand ambassador that not just Bank of Baroda or Max New York Life or Hutch, which he endorses, would like to have on their teams, but many other companies as well.
But the Indore-born Dravid seems to be in no hurry. After all, he now has to share off-the-field time with a growing-up son, Samit, besides his doctor wife, Vijeyta.
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
NEW DELHI: Master batsman Rahul Dravid, who turned 36 on January 11, simply loves his willow, often keeps it in socks, and gets a firm control on the bat -- and the bowling attack -- with double-barrelled gloves.
When the former India captain is not scorching the turf with polished strokes, he is immersed in books, though not necessarily on cricket or sports. For example, he read ‘The Art of War’, written by famous Chinese writer Sun Tzu, after he borrowed it from Indian envoy to Sri Lanka Nirupama Rao at her Colombo residence in 2006.
Also in the island nation, Dravid carried his prolific willow in white socks. When I asked him as to how long he has been doing this, he said he had been keeping his bats that “way for some time”.
Dravid is a batsman for all seasons, pitches, conditions and opposition. And his batting seems a natural extension of the person he is -- well read yet not arrogant, sophisticated and yet uncomplicated, down-to-earth yet assertive.
He has millions of fans but he bats with an aim not to earn praise. It is because the Bangalore-based Dravid has set for himself higher standards than his followers.
"I will be happy if I live up to my own expectations (rather than people’s)," he had told me when I interviewed him for the first time, in the huge vacant hall of the Pride Hotel in Nagpur, now the city of his in-laws, for The Asian Age newspaper in 1998.
Dravid is immensely focussed, single-minded and is always seeking perfection. He hardly ever smiles or indulges in conversations with his team mates at net practice sessions. No, not because he is arrogant or aloof, but he utilises the time to the hilt and is always seeking to remove the shortcomings, if any, in his batting.
In many ways, Dravid is like Olympic silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore -- fully devoted and focussed. And much the way the double trap shooter takes utmost care of his custom-made Perazzi, the master right-handed batsman also keeps his willow close to his chest.
A few years ago, someone had asked New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming in Mohali that if given a chance, which Indian player he would like to take from the Indian side. Without a pause, Fleming had replied: "Rahul Dravid." Just for the record, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were part of that team than also.
When Dravid was the national captain it was quite appropriate -- in a way, it was a natural extension of the cricketer. He brought dignity to the job, a gracefulness of old times that is rare in today's cutthroat competition in the commercially driven game.
Still, Dravid is businesslike, on and off the field. While his team mates may indulge in jokes and gossip while waiting for a plane, Dravid is likely to be browsing the internet or writing e-mails even at airports.
You are unlikely to find earphones permanently tucked in his ears, as is the contemporary cricketer's style. He has no hang-ups about himself; he is so confident of himself.
Dravid is a brand ambassador that not just Bank of Baroda or Max New York Life or Hutch, which he endorses, would like to have on their teams, but many other companies as well.
But the Indore-born Dravid seems to be in no hurry. After all, he now has to share off-the-field time with a growing-up son, Samit, besides his doctor wife, Vijeyta.
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