'Who will you drop to include Sourav?'

Sourav Ganguly's exclusion from the Indian squad for the next three one-day internationals against Sri Lanka has met with the approval of many former Indian greats, though some of them insisted that the door had not yet closed on his career. Several asserted that a consisted run at domestic level and patience could help Ganguly find a way back, even if it was unlikely that he would now return as captain.

Speaking to Kolkata's The Telegraph, Bishan Singh Bedi, described by the paper as a "known Sourav-baiter", said: Sourav must read the writing on the wall... I don't see him coming back into the one-day squad and, so, he should say good-bye... In fact, I'm not sure whether he will be able to return to the Test squad as well... I accept Sourav led India well and the country must thank him for that... Yet, that's history... Sourav, I feel, shouldn't have opened his mouth in Bulawayo."

Bedi also reposed his faith in the Rahul Dravid-Greg Chappell combination, though he couldn't resist a pot-shot at the idea of a foreign coach. "I'm not in favour of a coach from overseas, but given that we continue to have one, it's only fair that Chappell gets time to implement what he thinks is best," he said. "Rahul (Dravid), too, needs to be given time. Today, he has the potential to be our finest captain."

Syed Kirmani, who headed the last selection panel, reckoned however that experienced campaigners like Ganguly still had much to contribute. Having said that, he added: "At this point, there's no place for him and Sourav has to wait for somebody to fail... Had I still been chief selector, even I wouldn't have brought him back yesterday. At the same time, I would let it be known that Sourav continues to be in the frame."

A former stalwart whose views on the selectors created quite a stir in his day also found it hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel for Ganguly. Mohinder Amarnath told The Hindu: Looking at the team's show at Nagpur and Mohali, I don't think there was any need for a change in the team. The team, under Rahul, is doing well and doesn't warrant a change. "How can you exclude a performer in the team to accommodate somebody who has not done well in the recent past," he asked. "Sourav can make a comeback but then he will have to work harder and show more sincerity."

Madan Lal, another to wear the selector's cap, suggested that Ganguly faced a struggle to get back. "He may keep trying but at the moment he doesn't fit into the team. He can't just play on past reputation," he said. "He has played his innings and done well but there are others who are doing better. And Rahul is proving to be a good leader."

Ashok Malhotra, a hero in the Bengal team when Ganguly made his debut, opined that Ganguly had a better chance of returning to the Test side. "It may be tough for Sourav in one-day but you can't ignore him for Test cricket," he said. "Sourav will also have to learn to live cricket without captaincy because the system of separate captains for one-day and Tests will not work."

Anshuman Gaekwad, India's coach before John Wright, said that Ganguly had some reason to feel hard done by. "I think the selectors have made the best judgment under the circumstances but then Sourav too would be justified in questioning the decision. He is fit, and is in form." Gaekwad, however, added that a winning side was unlikely to be tampered with. "When the team is doing well there is no need to make changes. Sourav can forget captaincy and concentrate on his batting alone. Rahul appears a confident captain."

Chandu Borde, who headed the selection committee in the early years of Ganguly's reign, also came down on the side of the youth brigade. "Who will you drop to include Sourav?" he asked. "You have to give the youngsters a proper chance so that you don't shatter their confidence." Borde then adopted a more conciliatory tone by saying: "Sourav is a fighter and I know he will make a comeback. He has an excellent track record and one can't ignore his contribution to Indian cricket as a captain."

Salim Durrani, a cavalier left-hander of days gone by, was even more emphatic in his judgement, saying that "even a Don Bradman would have not been included in a side which has been winning". In his view, "It is criminal to tamper with a winning combination. The selectors have done the right thing by retaining the same squad that has done almost nothing wrong in the series so far.

"I am a great fan of Ganguly, let there be no doubt about this. But where and how will the selectors pick him?" Having said his piece, Durrani then offered a few word of encouragement. "He [Ganguly] has played well for the country and if this same team goes back into a slump, he can force his way back into the team."