Sport 27-11-2001 England Fear For Safety As Test Row Rages who: England cricket team what: Approach the ICC over security fears as India series hangs on a knifedge where: Mohali, India when: Yesterday snippet: "England`s participation in an `official` first Test on 3 December was still in doubt last night," writes the Independent`s Derek Pringle, "after Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, gave India`s selectors permission to pick Virender Sehwag, the batsman given a one-match ban in South Africa by the match referee, Mike Denness." While Dalmiya insists that Sehwag has served his ban during the Test with South Africa in Centurion, the ICC rejects this claim, deeming the Centurion test unofficial. Furthermore, the ICC have stated they will instruct England to withdraw from the test should Sehwag be selected. "England are increasingly alarmed about the possibility of a crowd riot," explains David Hopps in the Guardian, should any late inclusion of Sehwag "oblige them to refuse to play and abandon the match. If the security fears in the aftermath of September 11, which almost caused the tour to be cancelled, were largely overstated, the proven volatility of Indian Test crowds makes concerns for the players` safety wholly justified this time." Ironically, points out the Times` Richard Hobson, "India are so strong in the batting department that Sehwag would probably not play in a full-strength side, despite scoring a century on his debut in Bloemfontein." England Captain Nasser Hussain, frustrated by the ongoing debacle which he called a "shambles", said: "Over the last week, cricket has been damaged and it`s time to get on and play cricket. There are people in offices all over the world paid to sort out the game." [... more]

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