Doubt over CL and Mumbai test.

Champions League matches moved from Mumbai

Cricinfo staff

November 26, 2008



People stand around a damaged vehicle at the site of an explosion in Mumbai © PA Photos



A series of terrorist strikes in Mumbai on Wednesday night which left 80 dead and 250 injured has put a major question mark over the fate of the Champions Twenty20 League, scheduled to begin in the city next week, and cast a serious doubt over the second Test between India and England next month.

The strikes, including blasts and shooting incidents, were spread out across the city but the majority of them were in south Mumbai, the main tourist hub. In the early hours of Thursday morning, a major blaze was sweeping through the Taj Mahal hotel, a city landmark and the scene of one such attack, which was to host the two Test teams and was where the England side stayed during their warm-up period in Mumbai. It is also where Middlesex were set to check-in.

A group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen subsequently claimed responsibility for the shootings, according to local media reports. One eyewitness was quoted as saying that gunmen were looking for people with British or US passports. Hostages are also believed to have been taken.

The Brabourne Stadium, venue of the second Test and scheduled to host three Champions League games, is in the middle of the area where most attacks have taken place. It is also the vicinity where most foreign tourists are likely to stay.

Middlesex were due to leave London for Mumbai at 10am on Thursday to prepare for the Champions League but postponed their departure by 24 hours after being told that matches scheduled for Mumbai would be switched to Bangalore. However, Brijesh Patel, secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Associaton (KSCA) said he is yet to receive any information regarding such a shift.

Asked if he was concerned by travelling to India, Shaun Udal, Middlesex's captain, said: "You'd be a big liar if you said no … there are concerns, lots of us have families and children. It's not just a cricket tournament any more. If I am told everything is fine in Bangalore then we'll go.

"What has made it particularly disturbing is the fact that we were going to stay at the Taj Palace Hotel 24 hours later. That's really brought it to heart. If we had gone out 24 hours earlier then that would have been the Middlesex team. It could have been us. That's what could have happened."




"We have to consider whether players and their families are happy with us travelling. Can you go somewhere and feel safe when there are people injured just 24 hours before?"
Middlesex coach Toby Radford





"We have to consider whether players and their families are happy with us travelling," Middlesex coach Toby Radford said. "Can you go somewhere and feel safe when there are people injured just 24 hours before? Our participation and the tournament itself must be in some doubt. Personally I would rather not be anywhere near there."

England are currently in Cuttack having completed the fifth ODI and are preparing to travel to Guwahati for the next match on Saturday. Andrew Walpole, the team's media relations manager, told the Press Association they were waiting for more information. "We will be guided by the foreign office and will await developments. We need to get a clearer idea of what the situation is before we react further."

BCCI officials said it was too early to comment on the situation, but one was quoted by The Guardian as saying: "This has been a terrible day for India but at the moment it's far too early to talk about cancelling England's tour or the Champions League."

A Cricket Victoria spokesman said the team was due to stay in the Taj Palace after it landed on Saturday. They were scheduled to play the opening game in the city against Middlesex on Wednesday.

"We're reeling from the news of what's taken place," he said. "We're liaising closely with Cricket Australia and the government to work out the implications for the tour. We will have to change some of our travel plans. It's outside the scope of our normal areas of expertise."