Rahul Dravid has worked as a franchise cricket coach and has dealt with a variety of owners, some of whom are deeply committed while others are detached and perceptive.
As he takes on a new role as the owner of the Dublin Guardians team in the European T20 League (ETPL), Dravid thinks he would avoid joining the cricket team because he wants captain Ravichandran Ashwin to have total autonomy when making choices.
When asked what kind of owner he wanted to be, Dravid could only chuckle.
“So we’ll only know when that happens. We’ll only know how I will be because it’s going to be my first opportunity and experience,” he told PTI in an interview.
Despite his extensive knowledge of cricket and his 30 years of involvement in top flight cricket, Dravid has realized that he must keep a distance in his current position.
“I think honestly, the plan is for me to not actually get involved in the cricketing side of things. So to put together a good team that can do the job on a day-to-day basis. You certainly won’t see me in the dugout. And I’m not someone who’s going to be there at every practice session. Or for that matter, not there for even every game,” Dravid was very clear about what kind of team owner he wants to be.
Dravid, who signed Ashwin to be the captain of Dublin Guardians, feels that the renowned off-spinner should be given space to operate.
“But I will certainly be supportive. I think we’re lucky to have signed on someone like Ashwin as a captain and a mentor. And we’ll put a team around him that will allow him to lead the team and run the team in the way that he wants to,” Dravid said.
“My job will really be to put together a team both on the field and of course there’s a lot of work that needs to be done at a franchise level off the field. Which for me will be the priority and the focus. And sort of let Ashwin and the experts (support staff) that we pick, let them manage and run the cricket.
“So that is certainly the direction and the plan and the role that I see for myself,” the former India head coach was very clear about how he wants to operate.
Dravid is aware that he has a lot to learn in this new domain of team ownership.
“Obviously, it’s a new frontier. It’s new and it’s something that obviously I’m excited about, but I do understand that I have a lot to learn. I have a lot to grow. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been given this opportunity and a chance to be able to do something new, to be able to learn and grow in another field, in another area.”
Although there are already far too many T20 franchise league cricket events worldwide, Dravid is optimistic that ETPL can carve out a niche for itself.
“There is a rich history and a culture and a tradition in this part of the world, in Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands and in parts of Europe. Cricket is played by the local population as well and has been played for a long time. There are a lot of clubs here in Ireland and including a lot of Indian professionals have come here and played in Ireland.”
“So there’s already a captive audience. There’s already a captive followership. There’s already a captive talent pool that we can hope to sort of build on.”
According to Dravid, the ETPL, which consists of Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands, gives them a large canvas.
“So it’s not only about Ireland, but combining Scotland and Netherlands and the rest of Europe as well gives us a much bigger area to work with.
“And then the quality of the kind of people involved both at the league level and at the ownership level, I feel, would be something that that would be quite fun and exciting to work with in trying to build something in this part of the world,” he signed off.
