Karachi: Ramiz Raja has praised the role of
legendary batsman Rahul Dravid in developing the young Indian
players, and said Pakistan needs someone like him to unearth
talent.
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.
He, however, said it was not surprising, given the fact
that Indian youngsters were better groomed and prepared to
handle pressure situations.
"I am impressed with the temperament shown by some of the
Indian players. They have a fine find in Shubman Gill and
others. Rahul Dravid deserves lot of credit for preparing and
grooming them so effectively," he said.
Ramiz said having someone like Dravid as their coach and
mentor was a big boost for the Indian youngsters.
"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," he said.
Ramiz said he was disappointed with the lack of batting
talent in the Pakistan U-19 team.
"The way our players fielded and batted it wasn't
pleasant to watch. I think in Pakistan we need a total revamp
of our youth cricket system. The Cricket Board needs to pay a
lot more attention to youth cricket," he said.
Ramiz said a respected former stalwart of Pakistan
cricket should be given the responsibility of developing the
young players.
"We need to have give someone charge for a proper time
period like India has done with Rahul Dravid," he said.
Ramiz said youth cricket was not about winning but more
importantly about scouting new players and than developing
them for the future.
PTI
