India may have run away with the one-day honours, but that did not come in the way of the admiration that Pakistan has for Rahul Dravid, Chairman of the country's cricket board Shaharyar Khan said.
"The attitude and sensitivity of Dravid was appreciated by everyone in Pakistan," the PCB chief said.
Without saying as much, the former diplomat, here for working out the modalities for the joint bid for World Cup 2011, spelled out his preference for the Indian skipper over his predecessor Sourav Ganguly.
"Ganguly came to Pakistan as captain in 2004. He was a good leader. But Dravid is exceptionally good. He can be India's ambassador," he said before flying back to Pakistan.
Asked what he felt about Ganguly's ouster from the Test squad, he said, "cricket is such a mania in this part of the world that everything you do is criticised. There comes a time in every cricketer's life when he has to decide whether he can play on or call it quits. You have to take the decision yourself."
On whether the Board should talk to the player and work out a deal wherein the player can retire gracefully, he said there was no need for such a thing.
{{/usCountry}}On whether the Board should talk to the player and work out a deal wherein the player can retire gracefully, he said there was no need for such a thing.
{{/usCountry}}"Messages are sent out, it is for the player to get the message."
Did he feel the cricketing heroes were not given the treatment they deserved?
"It is not as if we do not treat our heroes well. We give them special attention, by and large we are sensitive to them."