Kolkata:India's head coach Rahul Dravid is not "hurt" by Wriddhiman Saha revealing the "difficult" conversation that the two had about his future as he firmly believes that the veteran keeper-batter "deserved the honesty and clarity" which was provided to him.
Saha, whose India career has come to a halt, recently told the media that Dravid asked him to consider retirement during a private conversation after the South Africa series last month.
Dravid said his intention behind talking to Saha was to ensure he has a clear picture of where he stands and he does not regret it.
"I'm actually not hurt at all. I have deep respect for Wriddhi and his achievements and his contribution to Indian cricket. My conversation came from that place. I think he deserved honesty and clarity," Dravid replied at the end of the T20 series against the West Indies which India won 3-0 on Sunday.
Read: Sehwag reacts to Saha's screenshot of texts from a 'respected journalist'
The 37-year-old, who has played 40 Tests for India, was dropped from the squad ahead of the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka. He subsequently pulled out of the ongoing Ranji Trophy as well.
Dravid said he will continue having such conversations with players whether they like the discussion or not.
"It's about conversations I constantly have with players. I don't expect players to always agree with everything I say about them.
"That's not how it works. You can have difficult conversations with the players, but that doesn't mean you brush it under the carpet and don't have the conversations," Dravid was crystal clear about his approach.