Indian cricket selectors pick the captain for this month's Zimbabwe tour on Friday with Sourav Ganguly under pressure to keep the job.
Although Ganguly has emerged India's most successful Test captain since getting the job in 2000, his poor batting form in the last two seasons has led many to believe that top batsman Rahul Dravid, his regular deputy, should take over for good.
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Former test captain Ajit Wadekar backed Dravid.
"Dravid deserves a long tenure," he said. "Gone are days when the selectors used to change the captain every second Test."
Ganguly, 33, who took over the job after Sachin Tendulkar resigned following a 3-0 Test series rout in Australia in 1999-2000, has been praised for his aggressive leadership.
He led India to a memorable home Test series triumph over champions Australia in 2001 and a creditable 1-1 draw on the return tour in 2003-04.
Ganguly also guided the side to a historic maiden Test and one-day series triumph in Pakistan last year, the team having shared the 2002 Champions Trophy with hosts Sri Lanka and reached the 2003 World Cup final.
His 19 Test victories as captain are an Indian record.
However, he has looked way below his best in the last two years and managed just 48 runs in five innings in the home Test series against Pakistan in March-April, which ended 1-1.
He appeared to be under severe strain as Pakistan clinched the one-day series 4-2 and was banned for six one-dayers for his team's slow over rate in two successive games.
The selectors gave Dravid the job for the entire one-day series in Sri Lanka although Ganguly returned in the later stages after his ban was reduced by two games following an appeal.
India could only beat a weakened West Indies twice, losing all three games against Sri Lanka, including Tuesday's final. However, Dravid made three half-centuries, including one in the final.
Ganguly hit a fifty on his return after the ban, becoming the third player to aggregate 10,000 one-day runs.
Wadekar said: "Ganguly looks very scratchy. You can't live on past records."
The selectors will name the tour squad on Saturday, involving a one-day triangular series from August 24 also involving New Zealand and two Tests.
