International cricketers are to be asked whether they feel safe travelling the world to play Test matches in the current climate.

Following the devastating attacks in Mumbai which cost more than 170 lives last month - forcing England to cut short their one-day international tour of India and think long and hard before returning for the two Tests - the international players' union have concluded that they need to canvass members' concerns.

With a resolution yet to be reached over the feasibility of India's scheduled tour of Pakistan early next year, the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations are to conduct an urgent survey into players' security worries.

FICA chief executive Tim May made the announcement after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur which also considered the suitability of English cricket's new work-permit arrangements for the registration of overseas players and the International Cricket Council's policy on the status of 'unofficial' cricket, future structure of the sport and anti-doping measures.

"FICA will be constructing a detailed security survey and requesting players from across the world to complete this survey in order for the ICC (and other parties that may access the information produced by the anti corruption and security unit) to be acutely aware of the players' concerns and observations of such security issues," said May.

"It is expected that this survey would be completed prior to the year's end."

May is heartened by the ICC's recent decision to broaden the scope of the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to include general safety issues.

"FICA will be proposing to ICC that FICA should work closely with the ACSU to develop mutually acceptable terms of reference and processes for this group," he added.

"We believe that this group should be charged with a responsibility of developing a central base of risk assessment and security templates that can be accessed by member boards and player associations to assist cricket in their decisions relating to the safety of players, officials and other key stakeholders in the game."

The players' union president Jimmy Adams explained the need for caution in the unenviable current circumstances is obvious.

"FICA recognises the seriousness of the growing instability in some parts of the cricketing world," he said.

"It is the role of FICA and its player associations to play a positive role in doing everything possible to ensure that cricket matches/events are played in the safest possible environments and provide the most applicable security arrangements to protect the safety of players."