Hi T.U.,

One last time I guess we need to spare a thought for what this Team selection means to Saurav - India's most successful captain till date and perhaps, the most controversial too.

Let us not forget that while he served Indian cricket in his prime he was instrumental in bringing about a great fighting spirit ably demosntrated by Team India in first, earning the historic vistory over the Aussies on home soil and then, the World Cup in 2003.

Saurv carrying drinks, gloves, pads and bats onto the field for the batsmen on the ground (as seen in the recent Indo-Pak series) as a Reserve / 13th man or whatever - painted a very sorry picture indeed.

Scant respect was shown in reducing India's most successful captain of all time and one of the most prolific run-scorers into an unwanted commodity in the Indian team. I strongly feel the Powers-that-be could have reserved a little more respect to a past-Captain who was the biggest force in giving shape to this Team India we are so proud of today ! A non-performer not being selected in the Team is perfectly ok - but humiliating one of India's most succesful cricketer (a past-Captain, at that) is just not on !!!

Anywayz, time to let go....... Now that his playing days almost look like coming to an abrupt end, what I want to ask you is - do you think Saurav is all set to start a new inning i.e. behind the micro-phone as a commentator ? Interesting, I feel.

I just read a couple of weeks back - Saurav desired to be in the Team for the World Cup 2007. Just wonder which Team he was refering to....... Knowing the kind of guy he is, I don't think Daada is ready to play his card as yet........

I for one strongly believe that there will be many in the Indian media who would love to have Saurav don the mantle behind the microphone. Imagine Daada analyse Rahul's strategy from the Commentator's room scripting his own assessment and tearing apart his contemporaries (read Team India) and one-time opponents ( the opposition team) in his own inimitable style....

Whichever way you look at it - Indian cricket is on the verge of just getting that much more interesting. I can't justwait to have Geoffery Boycott and the Prince of Kolkata sit together commentating on an Indo-Aussie match where Australia are dominating..........

Get him on guys - Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Manjrekar, Harsha Bhogle and the Bombay brigade are gettin' passe' these days.

Dear Micky Mouse,

Saurav's contribution to Indian cricket cannot be questioned. No other player has made a bigger change in the way we play the game. He made the Indian cricket team truly competitive and infused a sense of belief not seen since the world cup winning class of '83. He recognized and nurtured young talent to the benefit of Indian cricket. Indian cricket owes him a big thank you for an unmatched contribution to Indian cricket.

Equally, it was clear that the time to say goodbye had come. The middle order has been unchanged for 10 years and needs fresh legs. Saurav was the weakest and had to be the one to go. In fact, over the next 5 years VVS, Sachin and even Rahul will retire. Yuvraj becoming a regular is just the start of this process. These are, indeed, large boots to fill and I wish the youngsters all the luck.

Saurav as a commentator is a tantalising prospect. Of all the Indians, Shastri is my favorite, followed by Arun Lal. Great cricketers do not always make great commentators. Witness Sunny Gavasker, who was okay at best. Saurav, I guess, will be a very forthright commentator but I do not think he is going to start doing that just yet. I do not think he is ready to retire just yet. The world cup may be the stage he chooses.

I did not see Saurav carrying pads and drinks during the Pakistan series but it was widely reported that he did. Sachin did that happily during the last ODI when he came with instructions for Dhoni and Yuvraj. It's a team game and there is no shame in contributing in any way you can.

Dear Third Umpire,
"The old order changeth,yielding place to new and the good that men do are often interred with their bones " I obviously and unabashedly
sound like a Sourav Ganguly fan but believe me am not a biased one and pen these lines not in an encomiastic fashion but merely as a fond goodbye to somebody who really deserves it and shall never publicly get one.
There are only a handful of people in the post-independence era who could make you feel proud to be an Indian.I think Dada is up there!Leave aside his sublime off-drives and those lofted shots executed with such disdain; here was a guy who never learnt to back down in the face of adversity and his spirit I feel was contagious.Yes, he was well short of being a perfect batsman and yes ,though debatable, he may have fostered internecine politics but he loyally backed his men when the chips were down and therein lies is greatness.To borrow a cliche,public memory is short and this shall all be quickly forgotten but this articulate, elegant and yes arrogant cricketer shall live along in my memory.Hats off to him! Here's hoping against hope that I see him for one last time on the cricket field in the Caribbean.Did I detect a chuckle there?

I agree with the sentiments you have expressed, except the return to the team.

He deserves the nation's unqualified gratitude. He will be remembered as one of our all time greats.