In an interview to a TV program, Kapil said, "It is for Sourav to decide when he wants to go but I think whenever he intends to leave, he should leave with grace."

"He has done a lot for the country. He is being insulted, it is very painful," Kapil said about Ganguly who was dropped on Saturday from the Faisalabad Test squad.

Emphasizing that a player should quit before he is shown the door, the former allrounder said, "The player should retire gracefully. Everybody knows his strength and if one wants to lie to himself then it's his problem but I think that the player who contributes to the game should be given a respectful farewell."

Asked what he would have done had he been in Ganguly's shoes, Kapil said, "Maybe I would have decided to pack my bags but, on the other hand, another thought comes to mind that I will bounce back with a bang and decided my own time for retirement."

Demanding greater role for former players in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the former captain said, "If a player who has given 20 years of his life to the game and wants to contribute for its betterment how will he do that if 99 per cent of the people who run the board are either businessmen or politicians? There should be a ratio of 40:60 for others and players." (UNI)

The opening rates set by bookies this time are 90 paisa for a draw, Rs 2.25 for a Pakistan victory and Rs 4.50 for an India win, reported the Financial Express. This means, if you bet Rs 1,000 on an India win, you will get Rs 4,500 if India wins. And if India loses, you forfeit your thousand bucks.

The newspaper quoting sources familiar with the trade, said the betting turnover for the entire Indo-Pak series was expected to be a record Rs 750 crore. This time, bookies and punters from the Middle East, India, Pakistan, UK and Africa too are closely involved, the sources said.

In the Indian team, India's skipper Rahul Dravid was a favorite bet, followed by wicketkeeper and batting sensation Mahendra Dhoni. Curiously, India's Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who had recently set a world record by scoring 35 centuries in Test cricket, isn't getting enough attention from bookies and punters.

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who has been in the news for the manner in which he was excluded and then reinducted, has gone virtually unnoticed by bookies and punters.

Under the current rotation policy Australia is first in line to host the 2007 event but the ICC is believed to be looking at changing this policy.