Monday 1st December 2008
Series fate maybe decided Monday
The fate of the Ind-Eng Test series is expected to be decided Monday in a meeting between the BCCI and the ECB.
By espnstar.comThe BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, speaking exclusively to espnstar.com said: "We have given the ECB a couple of venues to chose from and now it is their pick."
The first Test, originally scheduled to be played from December 11 in Ahmedabad has now been placed in Chennai while the second Test was slated to be played in Mumbai, which has now been changed to Mohali on the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.
England returned home mid-way from their one-day series against India after terrorists rocked Mumbai last Wednesday.
However, the ECB and the ICC are keen to see the Test series getting underway as scheduled.
Meanwhile, some British media reports suggest that the England team might be landing in India on Friday to play the Test series on a revised itinerary.
Kevin Pietersen and his teammates are set to return by Friday. The first Test would be shifted from Ahmedabad to Kolkata, according to media reports.
According to a report in 'The Guardian', the English cricketers would return to India on Thursday or Friday and the warm-up match, originally scheduled in Vadodara from Friday, is likely to be shifted somewhere near Kolkata.
The report also said that the ECB might put in an assessment of the security situation shortly.
The ICC on Sunday said the two-Test series between India and England should be held as scheduled provided there was enough safety and security for the players and officials.
The world governing body of the game expressed 'shock' over the Mumbai terror strikes and also promised to address the security issue which was affecting the game worldwide.
"If safety and security allow then I would urge the England Test tour of India to go ahead and if it does so then representatives of the ICC will be there to show solidarity with the competing teams," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.
Pietersen has also been mulling over returning to India for the Test series, saying he would not want to let "a few bullies ruin his game."
Shukla would agree with Pietersen on that count at leas as he told espnstar.com: "India ia as safe a place as the United Kingdom."
The scene is set. Cricket lovers in India are keeping their fingers crossed.
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