India 'may rethink 2002 England tour' - Dalmiya

The BCCI said on Monday it might boycott their return trip to England next year if Nasser Hussain's team opted out of their tour of India starting next month.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), warned that India "may reconsider its June visit to England" and urged his English counterparts to make a final decision on the tour once and for all.

The England and Wales Cricket Board have stressed that the tour will go ahead after earlier concerns over security in the region.

Five players from England's 16-strong squad, however, have been granted more time to decide whether they should travel while a sixth, Mark Butcher, has suggested he could change his mind.

The ECB has said it will replace any player opting not to tour while stressing they will not be punished for deciding to stay at home.

Dalmiya added to reporters on Monday: "The tour is on. England gave the signal to us today. We want them to let us know the final squad by November 5. We cannot wait indefinitely.

"There must be a full stop to questions about whether the tour is on or not."

England are due to leave for India on November 14 for three Tests, followed by a one-day series after a Christmas break.

Doubts about the tour surfaced after the attacks on New York and Washington and the ensuing U.S.-led assault on Afghanistan.

Dalmiya said English worries were sending wrong signals to other countries scheduled to tour India in the future.

"I have told the England cricket board's think-tank that these continued expressions of concern about security is in no way helping matters. It is sending wrong signals to other countries," he said.

Dalmiya said he would meet with senior officials from the British High Commission and the ECB on Thursday to further discuss security issues.

"The Indian board has got clearance from the government of India including the security and political angles for the tour," he said. "There should be no apprehensions. For the BCCI, the government's clearance is the last word."

Mail Cricket Editor