Don't Think We Are in a Position to Resume Cricket in India, Better to Wait and Watch: Rahul Dravid

Former India captain Rahul Dravid who heads the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore has said the country is not in a position to resume cricket and stressed on the importance of being patient.

Cricket in India has been stalled since March due to COVID-19 scenario, with the IPL being suspended indefinitely. With the situation not normal yet, Dravid said the domestic season could be shortened too.

"I don't think we are in a position to resume…. It is better to be patient and wait," Dravid told the Week. "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.

"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. 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."

Dravid said he had hoped to resume training in NCA, in Bangalore, by May.

"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," he said.

"I was hoping we would resume training at NCA in May, but that did not happen. We cannot rush young boys and girls even bio-secure bubbles.

"In international cricket, it (bio-secure cricket) is possible. I believe the England-West Indies series will be a lesson for all. It has its own challenges. It is not as easy at the domestic level."

Dravid stressed on the importance of safety, saying missing a few months of cricket is better than exposing players to health risks.

"The best-case scenario is that we will be able to hold some camps once cricket activity is allowed," he said. "The worst-case scenario is the season is totally washed out (age-group cricket). Missing a few months of cricket is nothing compared with ensuring we are safe.

"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."