PTI
 
New Delhi, Nov 19: Rahul Dravid on Saturday got a vote of confidence from his predecessor Sourav Ganguly who said it was important for fans to be patient and give the Indian captain more time to handle the toughest job in world cricket.

Ganguly said captains needed time to mature and it was necessary to give Dravid time to grow into the job.

"He is a great player. I think it is important that any captain has to be given time. Captaining India is the hardest thing," Ganguly said.

"Most important thing is time. People should be patient and the results will be there," Ganguly said during a panel discussion at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.

The stylish Bengal batsman said Dravid would be under some pressure now because the team was going through a lean phase. "How you handle your failures will decide your future." "Everybody will have weaknesses. You will be criticised when the team is not doing well. The captain is taken up and brought down more quickly," he said.

Recalling his days as a captain, Ganguly said attending press conferences after a defeat was the toughest thing.

"To go into a press conference after losing a match was the toughest thing. There will be a barrage of questions mostly on the negative side," he said.