The Bengal southpaw would be turning 36 on Tuesday. The occasion also coincides with the team selection for the Test series in Sri Lanka. A 30-member probables for the Champions Trophy will also be picked tomorrow. Sourav will be happy to hear that Dilip Vengsarkar doesn’t rule him out of his scheme of things.

“He is a fantastic player. I wish him all the success for future,” Vengsarkar told The Indian Express on Monday. He, however, refused to comment on Sourav’s chances of returning to the ODI squad.

That the southpaw will make the Test squad is a foregone conclusion.

Former Bengal captain Sambaran Banerjee feels that Sourav still has a lot to offer even in the shorter version of the game.

“Looking at the way India wilted under Ajantha Mendis, I strongly feel some experience is needed. Sourav still has the game. He is scoring runs at the top level. He can comfortably play for at least two more years. Lots have been said about the young team and its energy level. I did not see the youngsters setting the stands on fire with their fielding. Cricket is a game in which a proper mix of youth and experience is needed. Now it’s up to the selectors to decide,” Banerjee said.

Sourav returned to city from England on Sunday. He was there there to accompany his father who was undergoing treatment for his heart ailment. He denied that he had talks with Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Petersen during his stay in England.

Reports, however, suggested that the Kolkata Knight Riders were keen to rope in Flintoff for the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).