Former Pakistan captain tells Mobile ESPN’s Soumitra Bose and Faisal Kamal that the ‘Wall’ is showing signs of cracking.

The saying goes like this: form is temporary, class is permanent. But cricket can be cruel at times. Statistics can be so revealing that a cricket adage can brutally get consigned to the backburner. Cricket respects its heroes for sure but when form runs dry, no one talks of class. The asking rate in modern cricket is just too high and former Indian captain Rahul Dravid is feeling the heat.

If there is one man in the Indian dressing room whose reactions were somewhat muted after Chennai's historic victory, it was Dravid's. He looked so lost in his own forlorn world that he barely managed a smile even after victory that well nigh looked impossible for close to four days of a Test match dominated by England.

A man who held the reigns of the dressing room for long, is now a quiet backbencher. Dravid's state of affairs has become more eloquent because two elder statesmen of the side - Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman - are in prime form.

But then one can imagine Dravid's predicament. If not for loose strokes that bear tell tales signs of a lack of confidence, Dravid has also faced those "killer" balls that get the best of batsmen. Cricket calls it a "bad phase," but Wasim Akram is now convinced that it's just not a horrible phase, Dravid "has allowed pressure to get to him and he just can't get out of that."

By Dravid's lofty standards, his records in the last 12 months have been abysmal.

In the 14 innings that he has batted at his customary No. 3 or 4 positions, Dravid has scored all of 305 runs at an average of 23.46. With just 1 century (111 versus South Africa in Chennai in March, 2008) and 1 half-century (51 versus Australia in Bangalore in October), India's batting wickets have turned out to be graveyards for the "Wall." In his last six innings, Dravid has failed to cross 11 and that has opened the inevitable debate whether selectors should now opt for prudence or reputation.

Former chief national selector Dilip Vengsarkar, having batted at the position that Dravid occupies, is categoric. Vengsarkar says Dravid should take a break from international cricket and then come back ‘refreshed' having found his scoring touch in domestic cricket. It is a feeling shared by the current chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth and he should know.

Akram says: "Well I had earlier said that Dravid is a top-class player and he is just going through a lean patch. And I also hoped that because his defense is so strong, his basics are in place, he will bounce back. But off late he has been feeling the pressure himself. He wants to get runs desperately, and the pressure is showing on him with he is playing his shots."

But then like many, Akram also fears for Dravid's future at a time when competition for every inch in the Indian XI is growing fierce. "In the present scenario even if a player like Dravid loses his place, it's very difficult to get back in the squad. India have got a strong back-up now and one cannot afford to rest on past laurels. I hope that Rahul realises that if he does not get runs in Mohali, he may never play for India again."

Amidst all this trial and tribulation, BCCI has given the ‘Wall' a fresh coat of paint. Dravid is too precious to lose. If there was anyone that India believed could get those record 387 runs against England on a churning Chennai wicket, it was Dravid. But then Andrew Flintoff's killer delivery that swung late and found the edge of Dravid's half-hearted jab meant India would have another hero. Nevertheless, Dravid has retained his place among the 9 elite men who have been awarded Grade A contracts by the BCCI. It means he is assured of Rs 6 million in the next 12 months.

Taking while on a night fishing trip in Maldives, Akram said, "The selectors must have had a chat with the captain and the coach to award a top contract to Dravid. They must be wanting Dravid to carry on for another year or so. You cannot ignore the fact that he is a quality player, who has served India for more than 12 years."

Cricketers like Dravid do not need financial assurances from anyone at this stage of their careers. They have enough in the bank to feed three generations. Only the runs must come because men like Dravid deserve to go out on a high.