Skip to main content

Mr. Balance

I've always felt that "The Wall" was one of the most inappropriate and unfair nicknames that any cricketer could have, but in his typical phlegmatic fashion Dravid has shrugged it off and accepted it as part of the game. The passage below from Ayaz Memon's recent interview with him really epitomizes the man and the cricketer.

Q:Do you sometimes feel that you have not got enough accolades? Does that drive you to do better?
RD: I've never really worried about that. People keep telling me that, maybe, you don't get the recognition you deserve; but, I think, I've got enough. In my own mind, I'm very comfortable. I think I've got a hell of a lot of recognition. When I look around me and I look at the other cricketers of India who've also done well, the number of guys who play first class cricket for years, there can be no complaint. Outside of cricket, you look around and see so many guys who struggle day and day out and get nowhere near the reward for the effort they put in. Living in India you just see it every day; it's in your face. There a lot more disadvantaged people than you and you can't really be complaining about small things.
I'm very comfortable and happy with what I've got. I think I'm recognised and rated for my work by colleagues and peers. A lot of nice things have been written about me in these 15 years and I'm very comfortable.
Q: You've got the record to justify more...
RD: The record's nice. But I've played a long time as well and you know if you play so many years you're going to put up numbers. The important thing for me is that I've been able to survive so long in Indian cricket. I've faced the challenges, I've faced the questions that have been asked of me, I've faced the hardships. I've gone through some tough times in my career. I've gone through some ups and downs, some really difficult periods as you know. But I've got through that, I've fought my way through. That's what I've really enjoyed.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Et tu?

As a single sport website, I think Cricinfo has brought about a revolution and the fact that they were bought by ESPN is testament to how highly valued they've become. Their editing and approach to articles/opinion has been refreshing to say the least and even though they seem to have had a lot of editorial staff movement they've usually maintained very high standards. Off late though, both in their headline styles as well as in actual content, there seems to be an occasional slippage of standards and an inching towards the modern media sensationalism which is a bit of a pity. This piece  by Siddharth Monga is a classic example. Granted that the last two press conferences by Dhoni and Sehwag  indicated clearly that the captain and his deputy did not agree on this aspect of selection but "discord", "dissent", "public sniping" feels rather presumptuous and heavy handed. Yes, it is a team sport but there is no reason why everyone on the team needs ...
1 comment
Read more

The Ashes part deux: series preview

While I admire the honest, outspoken style that Ian Chappell has in his commentary and writing I don't find myself agreeing with his views very often. This latest piece on ESPNcricinfo is an exception though. In what is a faintly ridiculous set of back to back Ashes series (to accommodate an ODI World Cup of all things), the build-up to the second round has been laughable almost. Anyone who hasn't followed the game for a few years might be forgiven if they thought that the Australian domination from the 1990s and early 2000s has continued and that they will win in a canter again. For a team that's lost seven of their last nine matches (and it should have been eight really), that's quite a good turnaround on paper (and digitally). The reality though is that unless they show a drastic improvement (especially in terms of scoring runs) and England have a bit of a shocker, its going to be well nigh impossible for Australia to win back the urn. Despite putting Buffoon Bo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Quick singles: Why the double standards?

I'm no fan of David Warner's but for once, I'm firmly and squarely on his side . Sportspersons are probably treated the most unfairly by public opinion (and often the media) whenever they are involved in pay disputes. "Oh, look these millionaires are complaining about not getting paid enough" seems to be the gist of the general reactions. I find this attitude inexplicable at best and grossly hypocritical if I'm feeling less charitable. Like the rest of us, all athletes have the right to fight for what they think they should be paid. That is the fundamental part. In addition (and unlike many of the rest of us), most sportspersons operate in the knowledge that they only have a short period available as a performer, and therefore only a short period to maximise earnings. Most people that I know would behave exactly the same as Warner and his colleagues are doing. So why all the hue and cry?
Post a Comment
Read more