Tests will be played as scheduled, says Modi

Mumbai: BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi has expressed confidence that England's two-match Test series in India, scheduled for December this year, will be played out as scheduled.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Thursday agreed with the BCCI to abandon the last two one-day internationals of the seven-match one-day series, following the terror strikes in Mumbai.

ECB Managing Director Hugh Morris announced that the ECB would watch the developments in the terror attack over the next 24 hours and consult its security advisors before deciding its next move.

As things stand, the ECB and the BCCI are left with three options - that's as far as the Test series is concerned. First, the England team flies out of India for two weeks and return later for the Test series, as was originally planned. Alternately, they stay put in Bhubhaneshwar, or some other place in India, for the next two weeks, and prepare for the Test series, with the Mumbai Test being moved to somewhere else.

The third alternative, which could cost both the ECB and the BCCI, and which would be the two boards' final option, is to abandon the series completely and play the two Tests at a later point in time.

Lalit Modi however was confident that the England team would play the two Tests. He was quoted by Sky Sports as saying, "The two Test matches are going on. Definitely going on. The only issue is that the Mumbia Test will be moved.

"I also am the chairman of the tours and fixture committee for the BCCI and in the next hour or so I am going to try and schedule that in another location.

"The first Test will go ahead on the 11th in Ahmedabad. The second Test which was to be played in Mumbai, we at the BCCI have agreed to move that Test. We are looking where to reschedule it. Chances are it may be somewhere in the south of India. We are just looking at where to play that."