• You had benefited from renowned sports psychologist Dr Rudi Webster in your own playing days. Now he has worked with the Indian team, what has his contribution been?

We don’t know. I mean, he only had five days with us to interact with the players. Again, no one’s got a magic wand, it’s about exposing the players to different people and different expertise from different fields. We have done that with different people through the time that they have been here and we will continue to do that. I would like to think that we could use Dr Webster again, from time to time.

The biggest part of cricket at this level is the mental aspect of it. All of these guys can play, they wouldn’t have been here if they didn’t have the talent. The ones who go on and make something of that talent are the ones who develop their mental skills to go with it. Rudi talked to us as a group on these aspects and with individuals too. Again, this idea that someone can come along and make an impact instantly is folly.

• Will you seek his help for the 2007 World Cup?

We will wait and see, but the players were very impressed with him and a lot of them felt that they got some benefit. But that’s something the BCCI will decide. We will talk to them about it. But that will happen after this tour.

• You started your second year in office with the one-day series defeat against the West Indies, what impact would this have on the World Cup?

... contd.