Dravid to be appointed new chairman of NCA

New Delhi: Rahul Dravid might have hung his boots leaving a big gap in the Indian batting line-up, but budding cricketers are set to benefit as The Wall of Indian cricket is set to be appointed as the chairman of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

With Sandeep Patil being nominated as the chairman of the newly formed selection committee, the NCA post has been left vacant and after much deliberation, it was decided that Dravid suits the bill to perfection.

NCA was formed as a finishing school for talented cricketers to fine-tune their skills for the top level. Top officials in the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) believe that Dravid’s tactical acumen and experience was better suited than the other candidate in the fray — Kiran More.

A top BCCI official said that Dravid has been a great servant of the game and his knowledge would augur well for talented cricketers looking to represent the country in the future.

“Dravid has not only played at the top level for around 16 years, he has also captained the national team for around two years and for youngsters looking to play for India, there couldn’t be a better mentor,” the official told MAIL TODAY. “Also, Dravid has been an intense reader of the game right through his career and every young player would learn a lot from his experience and being around him,” he said.

“Although former selector More was also in the fray, we finally zeroed in on Dravid because he resides in Bangalore and staying away from the family wouldn’t be an issue.” 

The concern in this regard was whether Dravid would accept the offer at this point of time when he is keen on a career as a television pundit.

But with former teammate Anil Kumble persuading Dravid on BCCI’s behalf, it was only a matter of time.

Although Dravid is yet to sign on the dotted line, the decision has been made and the board is waiting for president N Srinivasan to return from Colombo — where the ICC had a meeting on Tuesday — before a meeting is held between the two parties and an official announcement is made.

Considering Dravid’s stature, well wishers of Indian cricket can hope for better days in the future.