England calls off cricket tour in India

NEW DELHI: England on Thursday called off the ongoing cricket tour in India after the terror strikes in Mumbai late Wednesday

"The England team management have informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar that the players are reluctant to play the remaining two matches. The BCCI has asked them to send a proposal in this regard for consideration," BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla told reporters. Five One-day Internationals of the seven-match series have already been played and after the blast BCCI officials are meeting to take stock of the situation. The England cricket team said it was not willing to travel to Guwahati, which was also hit by bomb blasts in October, for the sixth ODI slated for Saturday. The last match was scheduled to be held in Delhi, Tuesday. Shukla also said that England have not decided whether they will come back next month to play the two Test matches of the series. BCCI sources said that it is likely that the second and the final Test of the series slated for Dec 19 and next week's Twenty20 Champions League matches will be shifted out of Mumbai. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) officials are also meeting to discuss whether the Australian cricketers would be allowed to travel to India for the Twenty20 Champions League. At least 101 people, including a foreign tourist and four top police officers, were killed and over 250 were injured in multiple terror attacks in Mumbai. The most audacious terror attack in Mumbai began Wednesday night, when militants attacked high profile landmarks, including the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, Metro Theatre and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) railway station. A hostage crisis continued Thursday with tourists and other guests being held by terrorists in the two five-star hotels.

night.