Kolkata: Former skipper Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi feels that India should continue using Rahul Dravid as wicket-keeper in the One-dayers as the arrangement has proved effective so far.
"In normal situations you can't afford to use one of your main batsman like this, but in One-dayers we need all-rounders hence as long as Rahul is delivering there is no harm in him keeping wicket," Pataudi, one of India's best known skippers said. Asked to comment on young Parthiv Patel's performance with the Indian team so far, Pataudi said that that he has not seen him keeping wicket so he could not comment. "But as batsman he can play shots and we should stick to him," Pataudi, who was here in connection with the launch of the Indian Cricket Players' Association (ICPA) and was watching the second day's play of third Test match between India and West Indies, said. Pataudi watched Patel play a scintillating knock this morning to post his best score of 47 and carry India total to beyond 350. Asked to comment on the much-talked about celebration style of Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly in England after the Natwest Trophy final, Pataudi said, "There is nothing wrong in it, he (Saurav) shows what he feels." Pataudi, however, said that the cricket these days was not the same and had become more hectic. As a result players did not get time to think over everything. He emphasised that even the character of the present team had undergone a sea-change as it is "very competitive nowadays." Stressing the need for the team's physical fitness, he justified the presence of foreign coaches saying, "They are professionals and they don't get involved in local politics." Pataudi, who had played his first match at the Eden Gardens in 1966-67, said that the ground had changed a lot since then. "Earlier it used to be a small ground, but the crowd is as noisy and as knowledgeable." Commenting on the wicket at the Eden, the master tactician of yesteryears said that earlier in 1960s it used to be much better, but it started declining afterwards apparently because soccer matches used to be played there. On the newly re-laid wicket Pataudi, said that it was slow and not the best but it needed time to mature into a good one.
Tags: cricket, kolkata, mansur ali khan pataudi, india, rahul dravid, parthiv patel, indian cricket players' association, icpa, west indies, indian skipper saurav ganguly, england, natwest trophy final, eden gardens.
|
Other sections
|
|
|
E-mail
To the Editor
Print
Be the first to comment this article.