Sourav's pat for Rahul by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Player:

RS Dravid, SC Ganguly, GS Chappell

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DateLine: 19th November 2006

 

Rahul Dravid on Saturday got a vote of confidence from his predecessor Sourav Ganguly who said it was important for fans to be patient and give the Indian captain more time to handle the toughest job in world cricket.

 

Ganguly said captains needed time to mature and it was necessary to give Dravid time to grow into the job.

 

"He is a great player. I think it is important that any captain has to be given time. Captaining India is the hardest thing," Ganguly said. "Most important thing is time. People should be patient and the results will be there," Ganguly said during a panel discussion at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi.

 

The stylish Bengal batsman said Dravid would be under some pressure now because the team was going through a lean phase. "How you handle your failures will decide your future. Everybody will have weaknesses. You will be criticised when the team is not doing well. The captain is taken up and brought down more quickly," he said.

 

Recalling his days as a captain, Ganguly said attending press conferences after a defeat was the toughest thing.

 

"To go into a press conference after losing a match was the toughest thing. There will be a barrage of questions mostly on the negative side," he said.

 

On whether the present Indian team was not united under coach Greg Chappell, Ganguly said he was not in a position to comment on this. "I am too far away. I cannot give you an insight into what he does. Results are important. It's not happening at the moment. But, I am sure it's going to happen at some stage," he said.

 

Ganguly said during his tenure as captain he learnt to become a thick-skinned person.

 

"I was not thick-skinned as captain when I started, but I developed it. It is important to do what is right for the team," he said.

 

Ganguly said defeat always put the whole team under the scanner. "A whole lot of things come up when you are losing. When you lose, everybody is under the scanner. So many careers depend on wins and losses. Everybody tries to compete. Talent is there. Everybody tries to chip in and do his best," he said.

 

On who is more important between the captain and the coach, the former Indian skipper said: "In cricket, the coach is important off the field and the captain on the field. But the main man is the captain. He has to react to situations and take decisions accordingly."

 

Asked to name the great players with whom he has played, Ganguly said: "Sachin Tendulkar. Someone who has scored 75 international hundreds has to be someone special. Lara is a great player. Ponting is also good."

 

On who is best captain in the current scenario, Ganguly named Lara for his way of handling resources during the Champions Trophy.