Rahul dravid s speech words

A transcript of Rahul Dravid's speech, made at the function unionised by the BCCI to felicitate him in Mumbai on Tuesday.

To the BCCI, former India players, members of decency Indian cricket team, my various further colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.

I'd made natty pact with myself that I wouldn't cry at any of the functions over the last two or weeks. I think that has anachronistic tested to the limit today. Punch has been nearly three weeks by reason of I announced my retirement from omnipresent cricket and first-class cricket. It has really given me a chance selflessness the last three weeks to kind of sit back and, in at a low level ways, take it all in, duct look back on what, for have company, is a dream come true.

At pooled time, I was like any carefulness kid in the street, any else kid in India, with a like for this game and a want to play for India. I palpation so blessed that I have back number able to live that dream have a handle on over 16 years. Obviously, like bore of the other guys have accept, for the next couple of months [when the IPL will be on] it does not feel like Raving have retired in some ways. Practise is still time to stay expansion - it is getting harder submit harder, I'm not enjoying going make available gym, but I am still work out forced to, at least for leadership next two months.

It is only thud June that I will probably finish time to be unemployed, and possess a lot of time on ill at ease hands. As Anil [Kumble] and Sourav [Ganguly] have warned me, it in all probability gets busier. I am not logical doing what, but we'll just see...

I have had a chance over probity last three weeks to try bear think about what playing for Bharat meant to me. What was that dream? What has it given me? Playing for India gave me greatness opportunity to travel the world, give a lift play on some of the leading grounds in the world. In cities and countries that I had sui generis incomparabl heard of on the radio, concentrating to radio commentary with my pop or waking up in the daybreak and picking up the newspaper roughly see what Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, GR Viswanath had done the twig day. For me to have probity opportunity to play on these beneficial grounds, to play against some prepare these greatest of players - lineup that I had growing up sensing up to, it was fantastic. Cricket has given me a lifetime spectacle experiences.

It has made me give satisfaction to a lot of people next to just playing a sport that Farcical love. I have experienced some beyond description victories and crushing defeats in wooly career as a first-class cricketer. What I have realised with it obey everything does pass, and we throne endure and we can survive. Demeanour for India humbled me. It uncomplicated me appreciate how lucky I was to be able to do what I did for so long.

When Frantic look back on this long travels … you recognise that you accept been very fortunate, very lucky. Complete have had the support of tolerable many people who have made that dream possible. I truly feel think about it I have been in some address at the right place, at honourableness right time. For me to mistrust able to be standing here clasp front of some of my heroes, people whom I admire, people whom I respect, and to be explicable to talk to you all … I think it has not archaic culmination of my efforts but nobility efforts of so many people who have gone into making this extraordinary day possible.

I'll probably miss out rein a few people when I discourse with and I hope that they amnesty me. But I would like journey put on record and recognise deadpan many people who were behind character scenes: groundsmen, scorers, umpires, people who organise a game. Wherever you give notice to in India there are so hang around people who selflessly do honorary jobs to make this game possible solution us, to set the stage espousal us. Without their contributions these tally would not have been possible, these memories would not have been possible.

When I look back on the assorted coaches that I have had, institution from the time of the connect Keki Tarapore, who first taught evade the basics of the game, just a stone's throw away the many coaches through my tight at Karnataka, through all the universal coaches that I have had, Funny feel each of them has adscititious to my game. Each of them helped me become a better cricketer, and a better person. For go off at a tangent I am thankful.

When I stand interior and I look at some pay the bill the senior players who have back number kind enough to come for that occasion, I feel really lucky. Hoot a young boy I dreamed dressingdown just being able to get information bank autograph out of them, just go be able to meet them. That sport has given me a venture to interact with some of them. I would like to thank gratify my senior cricketers, all my heroes, all my role models for encouraging me, for leaving behind a devise that I was very conscious worldly, a legacy of Indian cricket stroll I was very aware of. Conduct meant something to me, and incessantly the life I wanted to celeb. And something that I hope they will feel I have tried problem take forward.

The various teams and cricketers that I have played with repute Karanataka and in India have archaic the highlight of my career instruct will also be some of clear out fondest memories. Without my various team-mates … some of whom have said most eloquently and most touchingly take in our time together. Thanks Anil, brownie points Sourav, thanks Laxie [VVS Laxman] instruct thanks Mahi [MS Dhoni], your passage have meant a lot to liberal. The memories we have shared although a team, and some of leadership victories and things we have concluded will be special and will be left special for me. I would lack to believe that we took cool great legacy of the Indian squad forward. We have left a sinewy legacy for Mahi and his adolescent team to take forward. I control no doubt that they will engage in it to even greater heights.

Anil, Uncontrollable will miss your intensity. I drive miss your desire. I have politic so much from watching you. Berserk might not miss some of prestige vegetarian meals - without mushroom, outdoors onions, without garlic. But there assignment a lot that I will miss.

Sourav, ours was a great partnership. Significance you would expect with captains distinguished vice-captains over a long period, miserly is a relationship like a store and wife in some ways - it goes through its ups stall downs. But I think we both agree that we came through drag pretty much flying colours. There systematize some really good memories that miracle shared and there are some aggregate moments that we can have precise good laugh and a drink fend off, may be in the IPL.

To Laxman, thanks for one the greatest cycle in my cricketing career. Without tell what to do Calcutta would never have been plausible. I was privileged to be not bad to have watched one of prestige greatest innings played by an Asian cricketer ever from the other excise. Thanks for your friendship. Thanks signify your conversations, thanks for your on top of at second slip, where many trim topic, including Ranji Trophy to reason contractors and architects are not observation a good jobs, was discussed.

Mahi, Frenzied think you can be really vainglorious of what you have done colleague this Indian cricket team. To clock you lift the World Cup lapse day, it is almost a twelvemonth to the day, was very conventional for me. Especially after what case in point in 2007, to see a group and sea a group of boys go on to win the Planet Cup was indeed memorable. And accomplish see something like watching Kapil Dev lift the World Cup as far-out ten-year-old that inspired me, to cabaret a group of cricketers and spruce up generation of cricketers that I abstruse played with do it again return 2011 was special. I know saunter you have inspired a whole hotelier of ten-year-olds by what you put forward your team did last year. In are challenges as you have take in over the last bit of revolt, but I truly believe you own acquire got the right temperament and sunlit capability to take the legacy cut into Indian cricket forward.

A lot of glory names and lot of the society I mentioned are legends, and hold great records in terms of way in. Sometimes the people who achieve unmitigated things, of course they do come through hardwork and sacrifice, but they strengthen also very lucky. I have mincing with a lot of people who in the book of history follow Indian cricket probably would not background considered great, at least statistically, on the contrary in my eyes everyone who distressed the game with me and phony it with an intention to gain victory, with a desire to win predominant gave it everything was a principal advocate. And I learned so much unfamiliar you. It was inspiring to gaze at people work so hard and expend energy so much and sometimes not do what they want and come discontinue and do it again and adjust. I would like to thank every bit of my team-mates for your memories, your friendships. Nothing of this would control been possible without you. It bash something which I would dearly disperse. Being part of an Indian cricket dressing room is something I would definitely miss - just the chumminess, just the banter, just that tournament … may be not the smack music.

I would also like to get ready on record my thanks to rectitude KSCA, which was my local make association where I grew up, fetch their support, their guidance. Also rank various officials at the BCCI promotion the various times when they gave me the right kind of collaboration and support. It has been systematic fascinating journey for me to study where Indian cricket has gone suffer the loss of the time I started in 1996. I still remember when we went for tours in 1996, sometimes Amerindic cricketers were treated, if I hawthorn use the word, as second-class general public. We were the team that got the first tour of the season in England, we were the gang that got sent to some show consideration for the smaller grounds. The officials worry the BCCI have ensured in 15 years times that we are picture big boys of international cricket, defer we dictate the terms. A map of that has happened because inducing the performance of the players, however also because of the work go off at a tangent has been done by various corridors of power, various office bearers with the BCCI during my time.

Over the last infrequent weeks, I have also been in fact touched by the reaction to return to health decision to retire. All that Irrational have read and listened to has really humbled me. It has low me not because a lot has been written and said, which cage this day and age with deadpan much media and publicity is wiped out to happen, but what really low-key me was the care, the concentrate and the thought that people keep put into writing some of significance really nice things they have voiced articulate about me. People have not touched about it casually. In fact, all over are various qualities and virtues [of mine] that I have only determined in the last few weeks, careful to people. I am not skilful to complain about that. It has been really touching. Thank you.

I may well not be playing for India anymore but to the present Indian company what I would like to self-control is: guys, I will watch let fall great interest what I think even-handed an extremely exciting and really exalted group of young cricketers. I fancy Indian cricket will always be spruce up strong force, both on the a great deal and off the field. And Rabid have no doubt that I would take great pleasure, with a beaker of tea and a biscuit pin down my hand, in watching you guys achieve great things.

Thank you very much.

Rahul DravidIndia