Tambe bigger inspiration than me, says Dravid

AHMEDABAD: These days, the two most talked about figures in the Rajasthan Royals camp are the team's mentor, Rahul Dravid, and leg-spinner Pravin Tambe. The bowler, a club cricket veteran, has been noticed because of Dravid and has gained recognition with his game-changing performances.
Though the two can't be compared in terms of stats - Dravid played over 500 international matches and Tambe none - the recent exploits of the 42-year-old leggie have caught the imagination of the legendary batsman.
Tambe's accomplishments include the rare two-ball hat-trick, making him only the second player in the history of the IPL to have that record.
Dravid has been instrumental in nurturing Tambe's talent at Rajasthan Royals since 2013. And the master feels that Tambe is a bigger inspiration than him. "I played a lot of international cricket but he has not even played domestic cricket. Tambe spent 25 years playing only club matches and is a great inspiration for a lot of us," the 41-year-old Dravid said.
"He is one of those thousands of cricketers who played so much cricket without getting any recognition whatsoever," he said.
Elaborating on Tambe's work ethic, Dravid said that it was exciting to see how Tambe goes about his business at 42 and yearns to improve by talking to the likes of Brad Hodge and Shane Watson. "This guy lives all 240 balls bowled during a T20 match," Dravid said. "His is a great story and he is an integral part of our team."