Former India captain Rahul Dravid said that it frustrates him to see young people throw their talent away and it was important for him that he could be the best version of himself.

“Thousands of people would want to be in a position that I want to be in, in a sense I owe it to them to do the best I can with the talent over the period of time that I have. That was being truthful to me,” Dravid told ET Now, while talking about how to get the best of oneself.

Dravid added: “People like that were my inspiration. I thought I owe it to them and be the best I can be, because I have been given that gift and I don’t know why.”

Rahul Dravid on dealing with failures, giving up captaincy in 2007, importance of being a role model

The former India captain, who has been the coach of the India A and Under-19 team, said it was important that talented youngsters should not squander their talent.

“You have been given a gift. Don’t throw it away, don’t squander it. In a way it frustrates me a lot to see many young people sometimes waste their gifts or talent they have been given. If you have been given that kind of gift, I certainly think you should try and do the best with it.”

Speaking to senior journalist Ayaz Memon about sportsmanship as a concept in sport, Dravid, currently the head of National Cricket Academy, said that for being successful does not mean one has to be mean or nasty.

“A certain amount of respect for rules, respect for your opposition, respect for spectators, at a personal level, I think, is very important. It really adds meaning to what you are doing. Otherwise, it becomes too transactional, where you are just playing for winning or losing or for the money.

“I think it is important to make the distinction that it doesn’t or shouldn’t make you a lesser player. Just because you follow rules and shake the hands of the opponent, and genuinely understand what your responsibilities are doesn’t make you less competitive. You don’t have to be mean and nasty to be successful,” he added.

You can watch the full video here.