India Confident Cricket Can Overcome Mumbai Attacks

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NEW DELHI: Terror attacks in Mumbai have triggered security concerns in cricket's global commercial hub although officials are hopeful the game will not suffer any lasting damage. The three-day rampage by militants killed 183 people and, with the death of 22 foreigners, has shaken global confidence in India as a safe destination. The first event to suffer was a one-day series with England, whose team returned home after calling off the last two games. England's players, still wary of their safety, appear set to return for a two-test series starting on Dec. 11 if a security report commissioned by their national board clears the trip. But there is concern foreign players could shun India, home to a multi-million dollar Twenty20 league, with many teams already refusing to tour Pakistan over security worries. Officials played down media speculation the International Cricket Council (ICC) could take away the 2011 one-day World Cup being hosted by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. "It is in 2011 and I'm confident our government will take corrective actions," India's ICC vice-president Sharad Pawar, also a cabinet minister, told media. "In the near future, you will see a totally different situation where all precautionary measures have been taken and nobody will dare to show this kind of courage here." However, immediate security concerns did force organisers to postpone this week's $6 million Twenty20 Champions League involving eight teams from five nations. The Board of Control for Cricket in India still hopes to stage an incident-free England test series, if their opponents decide to return, which is seen as crucial to boosting the morale of other teams intending to tour. Meanwhile, the top Indian Premier League (IPL) official believes better security measures and the country's financial muscle in the game should help restore normality quickly. "Incidents of this sort are going to create immediate reactions," Sundar Raman, CEO of the multi-million dollar franchise league involving several top international players. "It is exactly the same as the blasts that happened in London (in 2005) and a couple of weeks after that you had the Ashes series happening," he said.



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