India return up to us : KP
Saturday, 29 November 2008
England captain Kevin Pietersen insists none of his players will be forced to return to India for the two-Test series after the terror attacks in Mumbai, reports BBC.
On Friday, Indian officials insisted the series would go ahead and moved the second Test from Mumbai to Chennai.
But Pietersen told the BBC: "We will make every effort to come back for the Tests, but at the end of the day if it's not safe we won't be coming back.''
"I'll never force anybody. A man is a man and he can make his own decisions."
The England squad began flying home Friday but are due to return in early December.
The first Test is set to start on December 11 in Ahmedabad and the second, scheduled for Mumbai from December 19, was switched by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Friday to the southern city of Chennai.
The Test series will still be preceded by a three-day practice match in Baroda from December 5-7, said the BCCI in a statement. It did not say, however, whether England had accepted the itinerary.
Pietersen had earlier said that plans were being made to stage a practice match in an alternative venue, possibly not even in India.
BBC Sport understands that a warm-up match could be played in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.
"We'll get some training in, for sure," said Pietersen. "There are definitely talks going on, I'll be speaking to the coach and we'll be making plans.
"There are definitely places we have looked into in the last 24 hours."
England were trailing 5-0 in the one-day series before the final two matches were postponed but Pietersen is eager to return to India for the Test series.
"Playing cricket in India is incredible, it's amazing," he said. "There is no better place in the world to play cricket because you get looked after and the grounds are full before you even wake up in the morning.''
"I always look forward to playing in India and if the security is right and things are OK, we will play."
One of the hotels attacked was the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, where the England squad stayed a fortnight ago and were due to return to on 16 December.
On Friday, Indian officials insisted the series would go ahead and moved the second Test from Mumbai to Chennai.
But Pietersen told the BBC: "We will make every effort to come back for the Tests, but at the end of the day if it's not safe we won't be coming back.''
"I'll never force anybody. A man is a man and he can make his own decisions."
The England squad began flying home Friday but are due to return in early December.
The first Test is set to start on December 11 in Ahmedabad and the second, scheduled for Mumbai from December 19, was switched by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Friday to the southern city of Chennai.
The Test series will still be preceded by a three-day practice match in Baroda from December 5-7, said the BCCI in a statement. It did not say, however, whether England had accepted the itinerary.
Pietersen had earlier said that plans were being made to stage a practice match in an alternative venue, possibly not even in India.
BBC Sport understands that a warm-up match could be played in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.
"We'll get some training in, for sure," said Pietersen. "There are definitely talks going on, I'll be speaking to the coach and we'll be making plans.
"There are definitely places we have looked into in the last 24 hours."
England were trailing 5-0 in the one-day series before the final two matches were postponed but Pietersen is eager to return to India for the Test series.
"Playing cricket in India is incredible, it's amazing," he said. "There is no better place in the world to play cricket because you get looked after and the grounds are full before you even wake up in the morning.''
"I always look forward to playing in India and if the security is right and things are OK, we will play."
One of the hotels attacked was the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, where the England squad stayed a fortnight ago and were due to return to on 16 December.