Not hurt by Wriddhi's comments but he deserved honesty and clarity about his position: Dravid
Kolkata (PTI): India's head coach Rahul Dravid is not at all "hurt" that veteran keeper Wriddhiman Saha has revealed a very classified conversation that he had on his future but at the same time wanted to give the Bengal stumper clarity about his position in the team.
Wriddhiman, whose India career has come to a halt, had told the media that head coach Dravid had asked him to consider retirement during a private conversation after the South Africa series.
"I'm actually not hurt at all. I have deep respect for Wriddhi and his achievements and his contribution to Indian cricket. My conversation came from that place. I think he deserved honesty and clarity," Dravid replied in his typical classy manner where he revealed little about a breach of trust with regards to dressing room conversation.
The 'Wall' said that he will continue having such conversations with players whether they like the content of the discussion or not.
"It's about conversations I constantly have with players. I don't expect players to always agree with everything I say about them. That's not how it works. You can have difficult conversations with the players, but that doesnt mean you brush it under the carpet and don't have the conversations," Dravid was crystal clear in his approach.
Dravid said that his philosophy is to discuss with players even before every playing eleven being picked.
"I always believe in having those conversations before every playing XI is picked and be open to questions such as why they are not playing. It's natural for players to get upset and feel hurt."
Dravid also explained that rationale behind speaking to Wriddhiman was because Rishabh Pant has already established himself as the new No 1 keeper and the Bengal man wouldn't have got chances.
"I was just trying to convey that with RP (Pant) having established himself as our No.1 wicketkeeper-batsman, the idea was to say that we are looking to groom a younger wicketkeeper (KOna Bharat). This doesnt change my feelings or respect for Wriddhi."
For Dravid, telling a harsh truth is better than avoiding a conversation.
"Easiest thing for me is to not have those conversations and not speak to players about it. That's not what I am going to do.
"But at some stage, I hope they respect the fact that I was able to front up and have those conversations," he added.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
