India have a plan for the future or not :

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Two days ago - that's Saturday for those keeping score - Rahul Dravid told an Australian news channel that he had not made a decision on whether to retire or not. This came after widespread reports in the media about Dravid's imminent retirement following India's crushing defeat in Adelaide, which had prompted the team management to issue a statement saying that none of the under-fire seniors were about to call it quits. Earlier, Virender Sehwag had emphatically stated that there was no need for anybody to retire. Before that, Gautam Gambhir had said that a woefully out of form VVS Laxman should have the right to choose when he retires.

This loop of comments has done nothing to address the real issue facing Indian cricket: what is the future? Comments by the men directly in question and their team-mates and support staff are entirely valid, because these illustrious cricket players - in Dravid's case, a true great of the game - do not have to answer to the media or public about when they should or should not go. But instead of having players come out and tersely address the media, it is the BCCI that needs to come out and speak about the future. Its remaining mum on the matter is not helping the situation.

Jamie Alter: There is little to gain by persisting with Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman.

What we seem to have in front of us is a non-committal BCCI waiting for Dravid, Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar to retire. No selector or board official is going to call up these three and tell them their time is up. It's not Australia.

But the question has to be asked: is the BCCI planning for the future? Do they have a plan for the next 12 months, the next two years, for India's next overseas tour? Are they content waiting for the three veterans to announce their retirements?

If so, it is a very meek frame of mind. India have lost their past two overseas tours by 4-0 margins with Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman in the side. It's difficult to see how Dravid and Laxman can contribute any more at the ages of 39 and 37 respectively, given that India don't have any Test cricket lined up until October (murmurs of a four-Test series in Sri Lanka this summer could possibly turn true, however).