England tour hinges on players' safety

By P. Subramanyam

LONDON, OCT. 15. The England cricket team's tour of India, commencing in mid-November, may be called off if there is any chance of the players' safety being put at risk, it was announced here today.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief, Lord MacLaurin said England's tour of India would not go ahead, if there was any doubt about the safety of the players.

``Our players will not be risked. You can be sure our players' safety is paramount,'' he told BBC Radio Four this morning. ``If there is any chance, they (the players) can come into harm, then the tour won't go on. They are our prime assets and we'll look after them to the best of our ability,'' he said.

Lord MacLaurin will talk to Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, later this week when they arrive in Kuala Lumpur for the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting, which in itself was moved from Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Lord Maclaurin said that England was looking for an alternative tour in case the Indian assignment was cancelled. The ECB director for cricket, Mr. John Carr, is looking into this aspect.

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Section  : Sport
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