Indian cricket team tour to Pakistan cancelled

New Delhi, Nov 30 (UNI) In the wake of the recent Mumbai terror attacks which killed nearly 200 people and left more than 350 injured, India today called off its cricket team's tour to Pakistan scheduled to be held early next year.

''After what happened in Mumbai, the chance of an Indian team going to Pakistan is minimal. Of course, it is for the government to inform the BCCI about the final decision but the situation is such that it appears that cricket between the two countries is unlikely,'' a highly placed source in the BCCI said today.

A neutral venue for the high-profile series, which was one of the options, has also been ruled out, the official added.

He also said the government could also severe cricketing ties with Pakistan as it had done in the past. The tour was clouded with uncertainty because of the security situation in strife-torn Pakistan.

These stern measures are being taken by the Indian government owing to intelligence reports that the terrorists, who unleashed mindless bloodbath in the commercial capital of India and killed hundreds of innocent people, were from Pakistan.

India was due to send a security team to assess the situation in Pakistan before taking a final decision on the tour. But even that looks unlikely following the Mumbai mayhem.

However, BCCI media committee chairman Rajeev Shukla said the board has not received any communication in this regard from the government.

''BCCI secretary N Srinivasan has told me that no such communication has been received from the government. We will follow whatever the government tells us regarding the tour,'' Shukla told UNI.

According to sources, several Indian players, including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag are unwilling to tour Pakistan and have conveyed their views to the BCCI.

Team India was to play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 in January next year.

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