Reading would take my mind off cricket: Rahul Dravid

Jaipur, Jan 27: It was Rahul Dravid's first exposure to the Jaipur Lit Fest on Saturday, and he seemed quite impressed with what he saw. "Never expected so many people," the former India skipper said as he was greeted by a deluge of fans.

In fact, he was clearly the top draw on Republic Day, which saw the biggest crowd. It was a busy afternoon for the cricket icon, who first launched a book on Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi along with Sharmila Tagore, then participated in a talk show presented by Rajasthan Royals called 'Corner of a distant playing field' and finally interacted with the media before signing books.

"For me, reading books was a way to destress," Dravid said about his affinity for the written word. "It was never about gathering knowledge. Whenever I wanted to take my mind off cricket, I would pick up books. That's how I developed the habit of reading. However, not many of the current Indian cricketers are known to be book lovers. There might not be too many books on the game that they can read," Dravid said. "To get them to read, there should be books that they can get hooked to."

True to his self, the Royals skipper presented a straight bat and left alone the bouncers with great elegance. Should cricket and politics be mixed? "Well, it's happening everywhere. There are things that do not really happen the way we think they should." But in his heart, does he feel the Pakistan women's cricket team should have been allowed to play their matches in Mumbai? "In my heart, yes. But there are so many issues that come in the way."

How long will he continue to play in the IPL? "One step at a time. I am playing this year." How would he react to any attempts to shift Rajasthan Royals home matches out of Jaipur? "I and the Royals will do whatever the BCCI says."

Dravid says his post-retirement life has been all about writing and commentary, and says these present their own challenges. "There are challenges here too," he said. "I know of brilliant cricket writers who have never played at the highest level."

The profile of cricketers has seen a huge change from the days of Pataudi, when the princes and the elite classes would play the game. With most of the current crop of cricketers coming from small towns, Dravid said, "It shows how much the facilities for cricket in smaller towns have improved. The barrier between metropolitan and small-town cricketers has been broken."