Without mentioning any individual names, former India skipper and Rajasthan Royals’ mentor Rahul Dravid on Thursday came out in full support of the BCCI's move to eradicate ‘chuckers’ from the Indian Premier League.
Dravid, during an interaction with reporters, said the decision to eradicate bowlers with ‘dodgy’ bowling actions should send a big message out at the grassroots level, where the coaches can take corective measures so that the bowler rectifies it at an early phase of his cricketing life.
“I don’t want to focus on individuals. But I do support BCCI and ICC [International Cricket Council has also cracked down on chucking] in eradicating bowlers with dodgy actions,” said Dravid.
He was reacting to a question on the BCCI prohibiting Sunil Naraine from bowling regular off-break in matches conducted by it — including the IPL, in which the West Indian plays for Kolkata Knight Riders.
“I support it for a variety of reasons. People talk about these bowlers getting punished, but what about batsmen who face them and whose careers get ruined? What about other bowlers who have clean actions but are sidelined in favour of these bowlers and are then lost to the game,” asked Dravid.
Dravid said this issue needs to be addressed seriously at the junior and schools level by the players’ coaches.
“We all can see this particular bowler has a different action, a dodgy action. What’s to be done about it. You have to correct him at the junior level. The message has to percolate to the grassroots level of the game.
“There was a time in Indian domestic cricket there were so many bowlers with dodgy action. It’s good that they have now decided to eradicate it. I welcome it,” said Dravid.
Dravid said he cannot comment on news reports tying him to an advisory job with the Indian team as he’s yet to hear anything of this nature from the BCCI.
“I have read it in the newspapers. I can’t comment on it as I don’t know anything on the issue.”
The BCCI, at its working committee meeting, had authorised President Jagmohan Dalmiya to constitute a cricket advisory committee comprising prominent cricketers who will share their recommendations on the overall conduct and development of the game.
Dravid’s name, along with those of his erstwhile India teammates Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, were mentioned in some reports as those who would be inducted into the panel.
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