Primarily looking at numbers is a big mistake, claims Rahul Dravid

Speaking at a function to launch ESPNcricinfo’s new metrics, Superstats, the former Rajasthan Royals captain was adamant that the teams across the globe must not only use the ‘moneyball’ tactic to recruit new players, but also  Dravid reckons that the team management has to look at the bigger picture.

“Primarily looking at numbers is probably a mistake but ignoring them is also a mistake. I don’t like to use numbers to look back, I am more interested in numbers that help me take decisions. I think there is a human element to cricket also. So you cannot look at numbers blindly. You can’t go blindly to a player and say, ’this is what the numbers, so this is what you’ve got to do.’ You have to look at the whole picture. So that is why I think geeks won’t ever completely take over because teams don’t run like that,” said Dravid, reported Scroll.

"Even as a coach you sometimes want captains who just don’t go by numbers alone. Sometimes, you want captains to do their own things. Sometimes, the numbers might say that X needs to bowl a certain over but sometimes the captain might get a feel that this bowler is not up for it today. Numbers can quantify someone if he is carrying a niggle. Numbers can’t quantify whether someone is not up for it. You can sense it but you can’t put a number to it.