Time to take a call on Dhoni and Yuvraj's ODI future, says Dravid

'What they see as the road map for Indian cricket, and where they see the role of both these cricketers going ahead for the next couple of years. Is there a place for both of them? Is there a place for only one of them?'

Time has come for India to take decisions with focus on the 2019 World Cup and that includes a call on the role of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh in the current team, feels former captain Rahul Dravid.

"It is a call that is got to be taken by the selectors and the management," Dravid told ESPNCricinfo when asked about future of Yuvraj and Dhoni, who were part of India's middle order in the ICC Champions Trophy.

"And what they see as the road map for Indian cricket, and where they see the role of both these cricketers going ahead for the next couple of years. Is there a place for both of them? Is there a place for only one of them?

"Do you want to reassess it in a year's time, six months' time? Do you want to look at the available talent and see what they have to offer before going back to these two players," he elaborated further.

India will play the limited overs series, comprising of five ODIs and T20I match in the West Indies, starting on Friday with a full strength squad.

But Dravid hopes the youngsters like Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav get a chance in the playing eleven.

"They have taken a decision to go to the West Indies with a full-strength squad. I really hope they are willing to experiment at least in the playing XI and give more opportunities to people.

"If you don't do that, suddenly you don't want to come to a situation and, say, in a year's time, where you say, 'We haven't given people chances so these are the only guys we have got.'

"Better position to be in: 'We have tried everything else, but we still feel that Yuvi and Dhoni are fit, they are playing very well, and they are the guys to see us through.' And no one will complain about that," he said.

Dravid added that time has come to also decide on the spin combination with finger spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja not making much of an impact on flat pitches during the ICC Champions Trophy.

"We are playing on really flat wickets. It is tough on them, and ... it is not happening. If you want wickets in the middle, wrist-spinners and mystery spinners are the ones who look like taking wickets on some of these flat wickets with the fielding restrictions.

"It is nice to have Kuldeep Yadav coming in. He needs to be given a lot more game time. He has got ability, he has got a bit of mystery about him," he added.

Kuldeep has been picked in the squad for the West Indies tour after he was not picked for the ICC Champions Trophy.

Image: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, left, with Yuvraj Singh.

Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters