New Delhi: India routed arch rivals Pakistan by a mammoth margin of 203 runs in the semi-finals of the ongoing U19 World Cup in New Zealand. Soon after the victory, congratulatory messages poured in from all quarters. The squad was praised for their exceptional display on the field and so was their coach Rahul Dravid, who mentored the youngsters off-the-field.
Former Pakistan great Ramiz Raja has once again praised Dravid’s mentorship and has suggested Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to look for a figure like former India great to unearth and groom talent in the country.
"Rahul Dravid deserves lot of credit for preparing and grooming them so effectively. They learn such a lot from him not just about cricket but about everything else. How to conduct oneself, how to develop game sense and so on, "Raja said.
Ramiz said having someone like Dravid as their coach and mentor was a big boost for the Indian youngsters.
Dravid was appointed coach of India A and U-19 coach in June 2015. Since then the junior Indian teams have witnessed a lot of improvement. Even the youngsters have time and time again acknowledged the former India captain's role in their development.
Lamenting the 203-run defeat at the hands of India in the semi-finals, Ramiz said he was pretty shocked at the margin of loss. Ramiz said he was disappointed with the lack of batting talent in the Pakistan U-19 team.
Ramiz explained that youth cricket was not about winning but more importantly about scouting new players and then developing them for the future. He also suggested that a respected former stalwart of Pakistan cricket should be given the responsibility of developing the young players.