Apart from overseeing cricket activity at the National Cricket Academy, Rahul Dravid’s responsibilities include mentoring, coaching and motivating players, coaches and support staff. The former India captain has also been working closely with the coaches of the national men’s, women’s and developmental teams. Dravid, the go-to man for Indian cricket during his playing days, is now paving the way for emerging cricketers.
The summer months for NCA coaches are usually spent preparing youngsters in training camps for the upcoming season. But with Covid-19 wiping out the entire off-season, Dravid and his team have had to constantly change plans for players across age groups. Even though the government has said that sports activity can resume, cricket has been a non-starter for various reasons. The NCA in Bengaluru is yet to open.
The BCCI is working closely with Dravid’s team to bring out a set of guidelines and SOPs once cricket activity gradually resumes. Dravid, however, feels that resumption is still some time away. Speaking to THE WEEK, Dravid spoke about training schedules, bio-secure environments and flexible guidelines. Excerpts:
Q/The NCA is working on a roadmap for return to cricket. What will it entail?
A/To be honest, I think everything is uncertain right now. How much cricket will be played and what it will take to be able to play depends on the guidelines from the government and medical experts. For us at NCA, the busiest time is from April to June. We normally have our zonal, U-16, U-19, U-23 camps happening at this time. [But] we had to keep redrawing plans. I just hope we don’t lose a lot of our cricket season, and that we can get some cricket this year.
Q/What are the alternate plans for missing out on crucial off-season training?
A/We have been making plans for all scenarios… but all of it looks very uncertain right now. The monsoon will set in over the next two months, and cricket will be possible only in few parts of the country. We will have to consider all this.
I was hoping we would resume training at NCA in May, but that did not happen. We cannot rush young boys and girls even [with] bio-secure bubbles.
I don’t think we are in a position to resume…. It is better to be patient and wait. We have to take it month by month. One has to look at all options. If the domestic season, which usually starts by August/September, starts in October… one has to see whether the season should be shortened.
Q/The Sports Authority of India has implemented graded resumption with some outdoor training for elite athletes.
A/SAI centres are different. They have athletes staying at the centre and access is limited to those inside the campuses. The NCA will possibly open initially for some local cricketers. Those arriving from other places will have to first quarantine themselves for 14 days. Whether that is possible, we have to see.
For domestic cricket, fortunately, we were able to complete most of our competitions before the lockdown. We have to see whether players are comfortable with inter-state travel. Our training programmes will depend on which domestic tournament will be played first. If it is T20, then we will start the programme accordingly.
In the past few months, our physios and trainers have been in touch with senior men’s and women’s players and some [India A and India B] players. They have been provided with programmes to follow during the lockdown.
Q/Is your team preparing guidelines for players to start individual outdoor training? And how much of a role will state associations play in that?
A/State academies will probably be the first place for players to train. But these have been closed, too. They will have to follow guidelines given by the BCCI and the NCA. Our NCA physios can easily manage the fitness programmes of individual players. There will be certain SOPs for all state associations to follow. However, they also will have to react as per their prevailing local situation.
Q/Your thoughts on creating a bio-secure environment for players. Is it possible in India?
A/In international cricket, it is possible. I believe the England-West Indies series [played in a bio-secure environment] will be a lesson for all. It has its own challenges. It is not as easy at the domestic level.
There were certain things we were not doing a month ago, but now those activities are allowed. Maybe by the time we start our cricket, a need for a bio-secure environment will not be there.
Q/Are sub-junior and junior cricketers going to be hit this season, given how parents and coaches would be concerned for their safety?
A/The boys and girls have not had any cricket tournaments as they usually happen after the exams. But it is OK as safety comes first. We will have to try and ensure we can get some cricket for them. Club cricket has not resumed. That is the real grassroots-level cricket for us, as each state conducts their own tournaments for all age groups.
The best-case scenario is that we will be able to hold some camps once cricket activity is allowed. The worst-case scenario is the season is totally washed out (for age-group cricket). Missing a few months of cricket is nothing compared with ensuring we are safe.