‘I don’t say I am perfect at it’: Coach Dravid on picking a playing XI

Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach has been a mixed bag so far. The team lost in the WTC final last month to Australia and were knocked out from the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals. There’s also the Test series defeat in South Africa.

The former India player however is helping the team make the transition with new players coming in and taking up crucial spots; like Arshdeep Singh proving himself as a death bowler in T20 cricket and Shreyas Iyer emerging as a reliable middle-order batter in ODIs.

Shubman Gill has emerged as an all-format player.

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The tough decision-making has allowed Team India to find new replacements and Dravid has said that it’s difficult to make selection decisions but it’s done with the best intention.

“You care for each of those people whom you coach, on a personal level as well and you’re trying to build personal connections. You want to coach them as people and not so much as cricket players. And when you do that, you want all of them to succeed. But at the same time, you’ve got to be realistic and realise that not all of them are going to succeed. At times you’ve got to make those tough and difficult decisions,” Dravid said while talking on Cred Curious show.

“Every time we pick a Playing XI, we disappoint people; there are others who are not playing. Every time we pick a 15 for a tournament, there are a lot of guys who feel they should be there. And you feel bad for them at an emotional level. But at least we all try. I don’t say I am perfect at it. I’m not saying that I get it right all the time because it does affect you. That’s the hardest part of coaching or leading teams – having to make those tough decisions about people you truly want to succeed and do well. But you can only pick so many players, forced by the rule.”

Dravid added that transparent communication is the most important thing when a player is left out of the team.

“There is no easy answer to it. I think the thing that comes to me is at least you try to be honest about it. In your communication and dealings with players, if there is an honesty and if they can think that you are doing without any political agenda or any bias in play, then that is the best you can hope for. That has to be a guiding principle,” said Dravid.

India’s new WTC Cycle begins on 12 July under Dravid’s guidance in West Indies. The first Test of the two-match series will take place in Dominica.