ECB confirms Test series
Mumbai: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have confirmed that the forthcoming two-Test series between India and England will go ahead as scheduled. The Test tour came under following the disastrous blasts that struck Mumbai on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
The first Test of the series will be played at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera in Ahmedabad from December 11 to December 15 while the second Test of the series which was originally scheduled to be played at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai will now be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Cricketnirvana.com was the first to report on Thursday night about the change of venue from Mumbai to Chennai.
The ECB in a statement said the English team, which is now in Bhubaneswar, will fly back home on Saturday but will come back to play the Test series.
"The ECB have announced that England will fly back to London tomorrow in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. But both the ECB and the BCCI have made assurances that the two Test matches will go ahead," the statement said.
The ECB also confirmed that BCCI was working on shifting the second Test from Mumbai where more than 100 people were killed in terror attack on Wednesday night.
The BCCI are endeavouring to find an alternative southern venue for the second Test." Hugh Morris, the ECB managing director, said, "Emotions are very high. We feel the home environment is a place where the players should be for a few days.
"The priority for a board, at home and overseas, is the safety and security of the players and management. We conduct regular audits and monitor the situation.
"The Test matches are in place, and unless we hear advice to the contrary those Tests will take place. The logistics (of a return to India) will be worked out in due course.
"We are in extraordinary times, and this wont be the normal build-up to a Test series."
On the subject of the possible rescheduling of the two postponed ODIs, Morris added, "Absolutely, anything is possible." "Clearly that is a decision for another day, when we have a discussion with the BCCI."
