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Cricket

Harmison says players will not take tour decision lightly

30/11/2008

England bowler Steve Harmison says he and his team-mates will not take the decision to complete their tour of India lightly.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to receive a security report in the next 48 hours on which it will base its recommendation to the team about whether it is safe to return to India for the two scheduled Test matches.

But there remains the possibility that some players may withdraw from the tour, even if the ECB agrees to go ahead, in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last week.

Harmison said the images the players saw on television had shocked them and insisted that the devastation caused went "beyond cricket".

The Durham man said that he currently did not know whether he would refuse to continue with the tour or not.

"The carnage is unimaginable, like a horror movie," Harmison told the Mail on Sunday. "I'm sorry, but whatever is being asked of us in the next few days, at the moment, the idea of being asked to go back out there is the last thing on my mind.

"How anyone can say that we should be carrying on with the tour in the circumstances is beyond me. I can't say now that I will definitely not come back or that I definitely will."

Harmison says whatever the outcome of the security report none of the England players will take their decision to play in the two Tests lightly.

He added: "If the board say they want us to go back the players have about 72 hours to come to the most important decision of their lives. All I hope is that nobody thinks we will take it lightly."

ECB managing director Hugh Morris admitted to BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme that individual players could still refuse to continue the tour even if the two boards agree to go ahead with the matches.

He said: "At the moment, nothing has been confirmed with any of the players. Clearly we would have to potentially face that issue."