Saturday 29 November 2008

Off to the airport in a sombre mood....

I'm catching a few quiet moments at home before heading to the airport. We're clearly still going but our initial sense of excitement has been dulled  by the events in Mumbai.

It feels slightly reckless - and a bit sad - to be heading to a country that has just been the victim of a horrendous terrorist attack. However I think the danger to independent travellers is minimal and in a funny and small way we can show some support for India by going through with our trip. 

Let's hope the England cricket team feels the same way. If they do call of the rest of the trip, I hope they're honest enough to say that security wasn't the major reason for doing so. They'll be in a different part of the country and security will be so tight that I really can't see them being in danger. I understand if they want to stay at home with their families for emotional reasons but let's be honest about that and not hide behind security.

What are the implications of the tour being called off?

While this is all speculation at this stage, the implications of the tour being 'postponed' would be huge and not just in the short time. India has emerged as the powerhouse of world cricket and if a major cricket team refused to tour because of security concerns, India will suffer both financially and reputationally. Could India end up in a similar situation to Pakistan with few teams being prepared to play there. What effect will this all have on the IPL? 

And what of the implications for the England players. If they cite security as a reason for not returning, how will they be able to take up lucrative IPL contracts in due course? 

The pressure being applied on the players will be immense but I suspect that they won't go or if they do it will be a severely weakened team, devaluing international cricket. 

Anyway, it seems a bit distasteful to be talking about cricket; my thoughts are with the families and friends of those killed in Mumbai. Such a waste of life.


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