England cricketers to discuss security concerns

England's test cricketers will hold informal discussions on Monday evening to discuss their security concerns over next month's tour of India.

All-rounder Craig White has already expressed his opposition to the tour because of India's proximity to Afghanistan and captain Nasser Hussain has said he will not force players to travel.

The British Foreign Office has advised British nationals to keep a low profile in India after the U.S.-led bombings of Afghanistan, following the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Batsman Michael Vaughan told Radio Five Live on Sunday the team would meet on Monday night before a Foreign Office briefing at Lord's on Tuesday. The British High Commissioner in New Delhi, Rob Young, will also attend Tuesday's meeting.

"I'm obviously a bit concerned about travelling at this stage," Vaughan said. "We meet on Monday night and there will be a bit of discussion."

Former England all-rounder Ian Botham, also speaking on Radio Five Live, said he believed the tour should be cancelled.

He said: "I personally think it's impossible to go ahead with it. There's too much going on in the world at the moment and India is to close to the centre of those problems.

"A stadium with 60,000 people and the England cricket team is an obvious target."

Vaughan's Yorkshire team mate White echoed those thoughts on BBC Online, insisting that travelling to India was too big a risk.

"The situation is that if there's going to be retaliation, there's no way they can guarantee our safety, so why risk it?," White said.

"Maybe if I was 23 without a family...but I have got a wife and two kids and they don't want me to go."

Chelsea Precedent

Hussain, who was born in Madras, said he had still to decide whether or not to tour.

"It's not just players who are going, there's physios, everyone's going to have to make the decision with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board)," he said.

Hussain referred to the six players with English premier league club Chelsea who refused to travel to Israel this week.

"That's a personal safety decision everyone's going to have to take," he said.

Chelsea conceded two late goals in a surprise 2-0 UEFA Cup loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv on Thursday after captain Marcel Desailly, Emmanuel Petit, Graeme Le Saux, William Gallas, Albert Ferrer and Eidur Gudjohnsen elected to stay at home.

Last week the International Cricket Council (ICC) acknowledged the uncertainty facing international cricket when it approved the use of neutral venues for countries unable to stage home series.

New Zealand and Sri Lanka have cancelled tours of Pakistan, and West Indies have delayed a decision on their tour early next year.

The ICC have also set a minimum penalty of $2 million for countries who refuse to carry out their tour obligations, a decision which will concentrate the minds of ECB officials.

ECB officials will also have to consider the possibility of India cancelling a four-test tour of England next year in retaliation if they decide not to visit the sub-continent.

Australia's world champion Wallabies rugby union side arrived in London on Sunday for their European tour and their rugby league counterparts, the Kangaroos, will go ahead with a shortened tour of Britain next month.

The original league tour was cancelled because of security fears but the Australians decided to go ahead with a truncated version after an appeal by the British authorities and criticism in the media.

"There's no reason why life shouldn't continue as usual," said Wallaby coach Eddie Jones after arrival on Sunday.

In other sports, the world's highest-profile sportsman, Tiger Woods, returned to action after five weeks' inactivity at the National Car Rental Golf Classic in Florida.

Amid heavy security, Woods, who took time out after the attacks on the World Trade Center, shot a 67 on Saturday to go eight-under with a two-round 136.

Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Venus Williams, who has not left the United States since the attacks, has committed herself to this week's WTA tournament in Linz.

Organisers said Williams was expected to arrive in Austria on Wednesday accompanied by her mother Oracene.

Mail Cricket Editor