The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Martin Crowe thrilled to work with Dravid

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Martin Crowe thrilled to work with Dravid

G. Viswanath

Mumbai: A brilliant batsman and leader, Martin Crowe has already given his consent to be a think-tank member of the Vijay Mallya-owned Royal Challengers team from Bangalore.

The 45-year-old former New Zealand captain is thrilled to be part of the BCCI’s DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) and eager to work with Rahul Dravid, one of his all-time favourites.

When asked if the IPL has arrived late on the scene, Crowe said: “It probably has not come a day late. But the fact is that people have started to embrace three-hour cricket. It has found acceptability after Twenty20 captivated the audience in England.”

Demand

Talking to The Hindu he said, “There was a demand from consumers for a new type of cricket and it’s obvious that one-day cricket was getting to its saturation point.

It’s an open secret that Crowe and, the Kiwis in general, have placed Dravid a notch higher than Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

Brilliant player

“Well, Rahul is a player with brilliant technical skills. He can play a range of shots when needed. Bangalore is a city I like very much and Rahul is a lovely man. I am ready to help him with his cricket in T20 for probably two years.”

On ICC’s reluctance to create a window for the IPL, Crowe said: “Well, any successful organisation has plans and goals for every six months. Cricket is evolving and no one can close the book for four years and ask where do we go now?

“I am sure all are waiting for the inaugural IPL. It’s a wonderful development. The ICC should have an open mind about this.”

Crowe will arrive in Bangalore on April 7 so that he gets sufficient time to work with the team. “Probably then I would have a glass of wine, if not beer with Vijay Mallya.”

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