Rahul Dravid calls Anil Kumble's exit "very unfortunate"
Speaking at the Bangalore Literature Festival, former batting legend Rahul Dravid, when asked to comment on selection of coaches said that the manner of Anil Kumble's ouster as Indian coach was "very unfortunate". While he stayed away from pointing fingers at Virat Kohli, who is widely believed to be behind Kumble's sacking, Dravid conceded that players are invariably more powerful than coaches.
Anil Kumble's unceremonious exit
Anil Kumble became the Team India coach in June 2016 and had a successful year doing the job. However he was forced to step down in June 2017 after an alleged rift between him and the team captain Virat Kohli. Kumble upon resigning stated that "with the reservations Kohli had with his style of coaching it was apparent that the partnership was untenable."
Coaching job comes with an inherent risk, says Dravid
Indicating that any power-struggle between players and coach always weighs in favour of the former, Dravid pointed that coaching job came with a risk of getting sacked. "The first thing you know when you stop playing and become a coach is that someday you are going to get sacked. As an India-A and U-19 coach, I know someday I'm going to get the boot."
I cringe on reading Virat's statements, Dravid
Dravid cautioned against youngsters trying to copy Virat and said that it works well for Kohli and may not be everyone's cup of tea. He added, "Virat sometimes comes across as outrageous and I cringe on reading his statements before a series. But if he can bring the best out of by needling the opposition, so be it."
Dravid on Dhoni's retirement
"People might have different opinions on when Dhoni should retire but if selectors have selected him, he can play as long as he wants." Dravid said, "Don't be critical of Dhoni. Even Ashish Nehra got to decide when he will retire."
