World Cup 2015: For the Scots, Dravid still remains a mentor

CHRISTCHURCH: Scotland are at a crucial stage of their journey in topflight cricket. There's a serious following for the game back home and they know that a good performance here could mean a lot for the future of the sport in the country.
And at a time like this, the Scots acknowledge the effect former India captain Rahul Dravid had on them at a time when they were taking baby steps into international cricket."He came and played for us during the 2003 season, when we had just started off. He played a big role in our development and we have followed the roadmap that he laid out for us," Craig Wright, the current assistant coach of Scotland, who was the captain when Dravid was playing for the team, told TOI on Sunday.
Dravid was at the prime of his career then, but he mixed with the Scottish team members and made them feel comfortable around him. "He had a huge influence when he arrived; he was such an approachable, decent and humble guy. We were only a bunch of amateurs then, but we learnt from his professionalism, the way he trained and the calmness, composure and focus that he brought to the field. In addition to that, the publicity that came our way was also helpful," Wright said.
The assistant coach tries to impart the knowledge that he accumulated from Dravid to his own wards, who are now trying to take Scottish cricket forward. "It's about the mental approach and the skill. I learnt a lot from Dravid on these counts and pass on the knowledge to the current bunch of boys," Wright said. He still keeps in touch with Dravid and the In dian legend invariably gives him a ring when he is in the United Kingdom. The two even met up at Lord's during the second India-England Test, when Dravid was about to ring the bell to commence the day's proceedings. "We caught up at Lord's and he was very inquisitive about the way Scottish cricket is going. He asked about the guys he knew and we had a good chat about that."
Wright would love Dravid to have a word with the Scottish boys if their roads cross during the World Cup. "I don't know what his commentary schedule is, but if there's a chance, it would be great. The boys would love to learn from Dravid," Wright said.