Borde surprised at Dravid's decision to quit

MUMBAI: Chandu Borde, India's manager on the recent tour of United Kingdom, today expressed shock and surprise over Rahul Dravid's decision to step down as captain, saying the topic did not at all come up for discussion during the long tour.

"The decision has come as a complete surprise to me, a bolt from the blue. He never discussed this even once when we were on the long tour. I don't know why he has taken this decision," said the 73-year-old Borde.

"He's a good thinker on the game and a very clever person. He must have given it (decision to step down) a lot of consideration. We have to respect his decision," the former Test middle order mainstay said from his hometown Pune.

Asked if the criticism leveled at 'The Wall' for not enforcing the follow-on in the final Test at the Oval could have anything to do with his decision to quit captaincy, Borde replied in the negative.

"No. I don't think so. It (not to enforce follow-on) was a collective decision," the former India skipper said, adding "it was a very good tour and the atmosphere in the team was very good."

India defeated England 1-0 in the three-Test series, their first triumph over the hosts in 21 years, before losing the seven-match ODI series 3-4 after clawing back from 1-3.

Dravid told Cricket Board Chief Sharad Pawar when the two met in Delhi yesterday during the BCCI's unveiling of its plans to start the Indian Premier League and Champions League that he wanted to step down in order to concentrate on his game.