In what could be a huge dampener to the participation of Australian cricketers in the IPL, the Foreign Department in Melbourne has warned them of the "high risk of terrorist activity" in India.
Australian cricketers, including Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden, have been reluctant to tour Pakistan in March-April after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DAFT) advice of the volatile situation there following the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
But now, the DAFT has also advised the Australian cricketers about the adverse security condition in India also, according to The Age newspaper.
This could jeopardised the participation of Australian cricketers in the multi-million dollar IPL starting on April 18.
The DAFT report for Pakistan said: "We strongly advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Pakistan at this time due to the very high threat of terrorist attack, sectarian violence and the unpredictable security situation.
"We continue to receive a stream of credible reports indicating terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks. These could target Western or Australian interests and individuals and places frequented by foreigners."
It said credible information indicated consulates and hotels could be targeted in Karachi and Islamabad and "they could occur at any time".
The DFAT advice for India warned: "We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in India because of the high risk of terrorist activity by militant groups. Recent credible information indicates that Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata may be the targets of terrorist attacks and, more specifically, that terrorists are planning to conduct suicide attacks in Mumbai or New Delhi."
Former Australian coach John Buchanan, without having seen the latest government travel advice, however, believes the tour to Pakistan should go ahead to prove terrorists cannot disrupt the regular flow of daily life.
"I think it [terrorism] is bigger than cricket. Cricket would be the medium by which you can keep making life as normal as possible," Buchanan said.
"My opinion would be definitely to go, not just to Pakistan but if there were similar issues anywhere. That would be my personal viewpoint, obviously without access to the information Cricket Australia might have.
"A lot of the time our impressions of how dangerous things may be are somewhat exaggerated when you are actually in the place.
"I remember being in Sri Lanka for Ricky Ponting's first tour. Tim Nielsen and I, along with the Australian High Commissioner, were the first white people to get on a military plane and head up to Janpur. There was a ceasefire, we were the first plane up there, and we did a little coaching camp for them. There are issues in most countries."
Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said DAFT's advice would be crucial in a final decision on Pakistan but did not react on the security concerns in India.
"There will be a visit to Canberra for a government briefing in early March. We'll get the most detailed inside information before we sit down with the players and the players' association to make the next step," he said.
