Articles | England wait to cancel India tour

Attacks: England matches postponed

Published: Thursday, 27 November 2008, 8:05AM

The England cricket team has postponed its final one-day matches against India over fears for players' safety after the Mumbai attacks.

The one-day series will end prematurely, with India leading 5-0, but the England squad will stay in Bubhaneswar for at least another 24 hours to continue talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about the other remaining fixtures.

There is mounting speculation their two-Test series will also be called off after terrorist attacks in the Indian city which are reported to have killed 101 people and wounded hundreds more.

Hugh Morris, the ECB's managing director of England cricket, said: "On behalf of the Board and the England team, we would like to express our condolences to the families and friends of those people who were killed or injured in last night's attacks.

"The safety and security of the England team is of the utmost importance to ECB. We have reviewed all our security arrangements in the light of these attacks and will be taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of the team.

"The events of last night were deeply distressing and the situation is still unfolding."

It is a dire situation which has also put the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League - involving Middlesex - in doubt.

Middlesex were due to fly out to Mumbai and their first match of the lucrative competition was due to take place in Mumbai next Thursday against Australian side Victoria Bushrangers.

But captain Shaun Udal has confirmed the team will no longer be travelling, and said: "All we know is that our flights have been cancelled in the morning. We were due to fly out from Heathrow and we had a call to say that those plans were now cancelled."

Udal added that the three group matches due to take place in Mumbai will be moved to Bangalore.

He said: "We heard a couple of hours ago in light of the horrific things that have happened, that leg has been changed from Mumbai to Bangalore.

"The main thing is that people are going on a trip out there with their families, and you just want to know that the people that go out there will come back.

"If we are told it is safe to go then we will go. We want to play, but there are more serious issues to consider."