Indian batting great Rahul Dravid and the current coach of India “A” side says he is still inexperienced as a coach.
Former Indian captain Dravid hung his boots in 2012 and since then he took up the role of mentoring the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals. Dravid said that as a coach he still has a lot to learn.
“Coaching at the India A level is not about teaching technique. They don’t reach this level without having basic technique, skill and ability. Talking to them, sharing some of the experiences and sharing some knowledge is what matters.
“There is a lot to learn for me as well. I’m inexperienced as a coach, I’m learning every day. It’s been a great experience working with a lot of the younger players. I’m benefiting as much as they are,” Dravid was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
“The first two months have been good. I’ve had a chance to take a look at the young talent in India. There’s the good talent. They need experience; they need to play more matches,” he said.
India A is hosting Bangladesh A for a three-match one-day and one unofficial Test series this month. Dravid said such matches will give more exposure to young Indian players.
“Matches like these, against good teams like Bangladesh, will do them good. Performing well here is good for their cause and the cause of Indian cricket,” he added.
Dravid also emphasized on frequent interactions between seniors like Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan and juniors who are part of the India A squad.
“We encourage it a lot. We definitely mention it. I speak about the value and the opportunity for a lot of younger players to play with the likes of a Suresh Raina or a Shikhar Dhawan. It’s a great opportunity to pick their brains, even if it’s in an informal setting. Conversely, it’s an opportunity for the experienced players as well to have a look at the young talent coming through, who are the younger players and how they play,” he said.
“It works both ways. We do encourage it. It’s something I mentioned when the team assembled,” he added.