New Delhi: Praising the current state of Indian cricket, former skipper Rahul Dravid on Tuesday said that wisdom of elders and the energy of young cricketers were vital for the upliftment of the game.
“Indian cricket at the moment is in a state of both enormous popularity and considerable reflection. It is blessed with great resources, financial and human, and is currently trying to arrive at a consensus over the best way possible to make the most of what we have. Indian cricket’s economic strength is both the envy of the world and if I may say so, some of its resentment,” Dravid said at the annual MAK Pataudi Lecture here.
The 42-year-old said that at present, we have every reason to be optimistic, but we must strive to be visionary leaders of the world game, working with equal parts foresight and empathy.
“At times like these, we need the wisdom of our elders and the energy of our young cricketers to do what is best for Indian cricket and the game at large. For a few weeks now, I have thought about what kind of advice Tiger Pataudi, one of our most wise elders would, have offered us,” the India Under-19 coach said.
‘The Wall’ also asserted that junior cricket in the country must increase participation numbers by giving kids a chance to have fun and enjoy the game, boys and girls both.
“The private academies can serve as the vehicles of this exercise; they are nurseries of our cricket and we are fortunate to have so many. If the five to seven year old is well taken care of in our academies, we are not going to lose their talent,” he said. (ANI)