‘Dravid needs to be more aggressive’

NAGPUR: During his tenure as skipper, Mohammad Azharuddin led India to a then-record 14 ODI wins. But the team’s record outside the sub-continent remained abysmal. He was also privy to the treatment that a captain was meted out by the media and the public after an unsuccessful tour. So when he speaks about Rahul Dravid’s captaincy, he has a fair idea as to what he is talking about.
“Dravid been a captain for only about a year now and he hasn’t done too badly. Of course, there are things that he can improve. For instance, he needs to be more aggressive on the field and he also needs to demand more from his players,” said Azharuddin in Nagpur.
Azharuddin also prefers having Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly bat at the top of the order in ODIs.
“Sachin has so much experience and it would be a pity to waste it lower down the order. The same goes for Ganguly too. He has done well since he has come back into the team. I believe that our top five batsmen should bat out the majority of the 50 overs,” said Azharuddin. “Having the No.7 or other batsmen bat up the order is okay once in a while, but doesn’t always work.” The 43-year-old believes that Virender Sehwag’s chances of a comeback are very slim and they depend on how the others will perform in the lead-up to the World Cup