England call off India tour, to leave for home tomorrow

Cuttack, Nov 27 (UNI) England today called off its remaining tour of India and will leave for home tomorrow.

According to highly placed sources, the England team took this drastic decision in the wake of terror attack in Mumbai in which over 100 people have been killed so far.

''England team did not want to go on with the tour under such conditions, so they have decided to call off the tour,'' a top official said and added that a formal announcment would be made soon.

England played its fifth ODI here last night and was scheduled to play the remaining two ODIs at Guwahati on Novemeber 29 and Delhi on December 2, while the Tests were due to be played at Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

While the England team will stay at the team hotel today, the Indian team will leave for Delhi this evening.

In past couple of months, Delhi and Guwahati, the venues for the remaining two ODIs, have witnessed terrorists attacks and with another major attack in the fianacial captial of India, the English team was apprehensive to continue its tour.

In October last month, there were as many as 18 serial bomb blasts in Guwahati, while a couple of months back, Delhi also faced similar serial bomb blasts which rocked the nation.

The attack in Mumbai must be more concernig to the English team as the terrorists, who have a few hostages with them in The Taj Mahal Hotel and the Trident Hotel, are asking for the people with US and UK passports.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainity about hosting the Champions League Twenty20 as the teams from Australia and England have decided not to travel to India.

Cricket Australia (CA) has put on halt the plans to send two of its state teams - Western Australia and Victoria - until they don't get a clearance from DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).

UNI RAR/HSB ND1250