The International Cricket Council on Sunday said the two-Test series between India and England should be held as scheduled provided there was enough safety and security for the players and officials.
The world governing body of the game expressed 'shock' over the Mumbai terror strikes and also promised to address the security issue which was affecting the game worldwide.
"If safety and security allow then I would urge the England Test tour of India to go ahead and if it does so then representatives of the ICC will be there to show solidarity with the competing teams," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.
"And if those Tests are played I would also urge supporters of the game to attend them as that will be the best way to send a message to those who seek to disrupt our way of life, that we will not be prevented from doing what we want or what we enjoy," Lorgat added.
Lorgat commiserated with India in the wake of the Mumbai mayhem which claimed nearly 200 lives but urged cricket playing nations not to let terror affect the game in any part of the world.
On behalf of the ICC, I would like to offer the condolences and sympathy of the entire cricket world to Mumbai and to India in the wake of the terrible events of the last few days."Sadly, terrorism appears increasingly to be a fact of life that we must endure.
What we as a cricket family must do is to try, wherever possible, to rise above it and show that those who wish to perpetrate evil cannot win," he said.
Lorgat said they will ponder over the issue of security at next week's Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) meeting of the ICC to be held in South Africa."At that meeting I intend to raise the question of how we can all come together to address the challenges that the issue of safety and security brings to our game.
"Cricket is a common thread that binds all ICC Members and we must seek to ensure those ties endure. By doing so we will ensure our strong sport will grow even stronger," added Lorgat.
ICC also pledged support to the India and England cricket boards to help game get back on track.I have today written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pledging whatever support the ICC can offer to help ensure that, if appropriate, cricket goes ahead."I have also written to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with a similar offer of support and solidarity," Lorgat said through the statement.
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