Ex-English Cricketer Dermot Reeve recalls when he sledged and ousted Rahul Dravid

Former England all-rounder Dermot Reeve recently recalled his verbal altercation with India's legendary batsman Rahul Dravid. Reeve said Dravid once told him that he is the only person who has successfully taken the wall down, referring to the Karnataka batsman's nickname. Dermot Reeve, while speaking to the Daily Mail, said when he was the coach of English county side Somerset, he was involved in an altercation with Dravid. Reeve recalled he was fielding for Somerset in one of the County games against Kent, which had Dravid as its playing member. Reeve said after he went into the field, he started sledging Dravid and the Indian batsman eventually fell into the trap and hit a false shot. 

'Only person who's ever got under my skin'

Reeve said Dravid told him after the match that he is probably the only person who has taken the wall down. "You gave me so much stick, I ended up going after one and getting caught. You’re the only person who’s ever got under my skin," Reeve quoted Dravid as saying in his Daily Mail interview. When asked what did he say to irk Dravid on the field, Reeve revealed that he told him how bad he is as a batsman who only knows how to block the ball and doesn't have too many shots in his kitty. Reeve admitted that it is one of the factors why so many people disliked him during his playing days. 

During his chat with Daily Mail, Reeve also opened up about his relationship with West Indies cricketing legend Brian Lara. Reeve recalled one particular season of County Cricket, in which Lara had scored a record-breaking 501 runs in a single inning. Reeve said although his team won the title that year, it was the most unenjoyable season for him because the energy between him and Lara wasn't right. Reeve reckoned it was probably because Lara's agent had told him that the English all-rounder didn't want him in his team. Reeve, however, said everything is now sorted between him and Lara. 

Talking about his future plans, Reeve said he would like to resume his commentary career and most importantly, he would like to coach again. Reeve has played 241 First-Class matches in his career and has picked 456 wickets at an average of 26.82. Reeve also has 8,541 runs under his belt in 241 County matches, which he had scored at an average of 34.86. Reeve has also played 3 Tests and 29 ODIs for England. 

Image: PTI