When Rahul Dravid turned out for Scotland in 2003

Dravid in action during his Scotland stint

The legacy left behind by Dravid

Contrary to other international cricketers, who turn out to play county cricket to fine-tune their skills, Dravid, at the peak of his career, nonchalantly agreed to represent Scotland out of good will, with the aim of passing on his knowledge and expertise to the young breed of players.

Which other cricketer would have been so selfless as to leave behind a well-deserved vacation to help a team find a footing in the world of cricket, inspiring the citizens to move away from football and rugby to try their hand at a sport that did not garner as many eyeballs in their part of the world?

The question is rhetoric, to say the least.

Such was the impact of his 3 months stay twelve years ago, that his teachings and valuable inputs have remained behind in the minds of the Scottish players, who till today unanimously credit Dravid for their achievements.

Craig Wright, the current assistant coach of Scotland, who was the captain in 2003, does not shy away from applauding the Indian for their success, stating that the roadmap laid down by him was the primary reason for the country’s success.

The Scotland Cricket Team, which played in the 2007 and the 2015 World Cup Tournaments, tries to incorporate Dravid’s calmness, composure and focus on the field, with Craig teaching his wards how to be humble off it. Just like Dravid.

Recounting an incident that struck a chord, Craig talks about how Dravid’s only concern on checking his accommodation in Scotland was how the dishwasher worked.

“Dravid did not worry about the size of the apartment, which was not as large, but rather wanted to know about the dishwasher. Even today, he never fails to ring me whenever he is in the UK and always takes an active interest in the performance of my boys. These gestures speak tons about him.”

Even though, in a characteristic Dravid way, he fails to believe that he has had any hand to play in Scotland’s success, his legacy will forever remain etched in the cricketing history of the nation.

Way back in 2003, when the Scottish Cricket Union did not have adequate funds to finance his 45,000-pound contract, a group of NRI’s volunteered to raise money through dinners and donations to bring aboard a gentleman they knew would impact the youth in more ways than one.

Today, Scotland has played two World Cup events and even though the road ahead looks full of challenges and obstacles, Craig is hopeful that through the teachings of Dravid they can overcome all that comes their way.