Attacks End One-day Series And Champions League
Following yesterday’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, England have postponed the remaining two one-day international matches against India with a decision still to be made as to whether the impending two-Test series goes ahead, while the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League tournament has also been postponed.
With India already leading 5-0 and the series over as a competitive contest, the sixth one-dayer, scheduled to take place in Guwahati on Saturday and the seventh in Delhi on 2nd December have been scrapped.
England are still scheduled to play a three-day match in Baroda from 5th December with the first Test in Ahmedabad from 11th December and the 2nd Test set to be played in Mumbai from 19th December.
The squad will remain in Bhubaneswar until at least Friday morning as the England and Wales Cricket Board continues talks with India officials as to whether to cancel the rest of the tour.
Popular venues for US and British passport holders were among at least seven sites in the main tourist and business district targeted by terrorists late on Wednesday including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel where the England cricket team were scheduled to be staying ahead of the 2nd Test.
ECB managing director Hugh Morris said: ‘The safety and security of the 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.
‘This morning I held initial discussions with the Hon Sec of BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), Mr N Srinivasan, as well as representatives from the Indian team management at the team hotel in Bhubaneswar.
‘I have also briefed the England players and management on the situation as well as liaising closely with the ECB chairman (Giles Clarke) and chief executive (David Collier) and the players’ representatives.
‘The events of last night were deeply distressing and the situation is still unfolding. We are urgently seeking information from expert sources regarding last night’s attacks and will continue to hold further discussions with our colleagues from the BCCI over the next 24 hours.’
The terrorist attacks have also forced the postponement of the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League tournament, which was scheduled to start in Mumbai on Wednesday, featuring the best domestic cricket sides from around the world.
A meeting will be held in December and organisers say they remain hopeful the tournament can take place next year.
Lalit Modi, chairman of the Champions League board, stated: ‘We couldn’t get a third venue to replace Mumbai at such short notice.’
English county representatives Middlesex were scheduled to compete in the tournament alongside teams from Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan.
The situation is not the first time the region’s troubles have spilled over into the cricket world. In August, the International Cricket Council postponed the Champions Trophy from September 2008 until October 2009 because of security worries in Pakistan.
New Zealand also cut short a tour to Pakistan in May 2002 after a bomb blast outside their hotel in Karachi killed 19 people while the Pakistan Cricket Board had to relocate two home series to Sri Lanka and Sharjah later that year after the West Indies and Australia refused to tour.
