New Delhi, Sep 22: Former skipper Sourav Ganguly feels that retirement should not be forced upon the senior players in team India. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman should decide on their own when it comes to taking a call on quitting the game.

“The day their performance drops, they will leave on their own,” Ganguly said in a show , featuring another legend Kapil Dev and former pace bowler Madan Lal.

Kapil, on the other hand, had a different take on the entire matter. “It is the selectors who will have to take a call on their retirement. A player never likes to retire. Selectors should see the bigger picture and take a tough decision,” Kapil said.

In fact, Kapil came out with a formula for an orderly phaseout of seniors. “All three seniors should not play together in a single Test. Two of them can play and one can be rested so that a youngster can be tested in his place. In this manner, we can give a chance to a talented youngster without taking too much risk and making too many changes all of a sudden,” Kapil argued.

But has the time come for an phaseout, however orderly it might be? “No. Dravid and Laxman have already phased out from ODI cricket. Sachin also plays very less. It’s good to see youngsters perform so well in the shorter format but I am more worried about Tests. We haven't seen anyone who can challenge these seniors,” said Ganguly.