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'Captaincy Isn't Something You Can Grab'

With a growing clamour for Ganguly to be relieved of the responsibility of leading the Indian team, the man next in line, who has often been identified as a diplomat when it comes to fielding questions from the media, is surprisingly candid.

G. Rajaraman

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Rahul Dravid has been vice-captain to Saurav Ganguly since they inherited a beleaguered Indian cricket side in the wake of the match-fixing scandal in the year 2000. He has led India in five Test matches (two wins and two losses) and 12 one-day internationals (five wins and six losses) when Ganguly's fitness did not allow him to take the field or—as happened recently against Pakistan—when the captain was suspended by icc match referee Chris Broad.

With a growing clamour for Ganguly to be relieved of the responsibility of leading the Indian team, Dravid's own captaincy and man-management have come into sharp focus. For a true blue professional who has often been identified as a diplomat when it comes to fielding questions from the media, Dravid was surprisingly candid while discussing his own captaincy and other issues in Indian cricket with G. Rajaraman at Shristhi, his Bangalore home. Dravid is clear that captaincy is an honour that is given to the deserving rather than something that has to be actively pursued. Excerpts:
After India lost the last two one-day internationals to Pakistan in Kanpur and Delhi, there is a perception gaining ground that you are not really aggressive enough as captain. Most people think of you as being too much of a gentleman. Can gentlemen make good captains in the modern context?
Do you believe that time is at hand for you to seek captaincy of the Indian cricket team? Do you nurse captaincy ambitions?
You have been with the Indian team for a little over a decade now. How has it evolved during this time? Are the pressures on the current crop very different from those you faced when you came into the side?
How can India arrest the slide in its form in one-day cricket?
There has been much discussion on Sachin Tendulkar's batting over the last season. In fact, some are even suggesting that he is over the hill. Do you agree?
There is a belief that the criticism by former cricketers on TV channels and other media is out of proportion. What is your own take on that?
One of the key issues that Indian cricket now faces concerns the choice of a successor for John Wright as coach of the team. What are your thoughts on that?
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