If the BCCI’s new diktat to the players is anything to go by, one shall see players being shunted by their own accord. But is this only about emulating foreign policies or is there more substance to it?

The new selection panel is under new illusions of the tasks ahead of them. Not only do they have to find young, new talent good enough to represent India at the international level, but also, know when to give the seniors in the team the boot. But the BCCI, it appears, is set to help the selectors in the latter part to ensure the former are given their due.
The BCCI is planning to bring in a new policy, adopted naturally from the Australians, of giving the senior members in the squad the option to play out till the time they pre decide will be their final in their international cricket careers. For instance, if V.V.S. Laxman were to decide to quit the game before the selectors axed him, hypothetically speaking, if he previously intimated the selectors that the series against Australia would be his last, he would stand being selected for the four Tests irrespective of his performance, good or bad.
Sourav Ganguly could have benefited from this rule if he had not been axed from the Irani Trophy tie or the now ex-chairman of selectors, Dilip Vengsarkar, not stated openly that Ganguly was no longer fit enough to play the game. If the selectors do decide to include Ganguly for the series against Australia, they could well be hanging this condition for him.
Given the amount of money at stake, not to mention endorsements and lucrative deals with IPL, few of the seniors will be brave enough to call it a day hastily. This is primarily what has caused much angst for the previous panels as it will no doubt for the new one. But the lure of being allowed to play through may indeed induce some of the fab five to take up the offer. But by the way things have panned out so far, it is unlikely that the “young” fab five will be taking up the offer any time soon.