Monday, October 15, 2001 This is no time for jingoism or nationalist fervour, but the campaign that is building up against England's winter tour of India is disappointing, to say the least. It smacks of preconceived notions, ignorance and a small-country mentality. Please read small in a geographical sense.

It was obvious even before the tour began that India was not the favourite destination for a few English cricketers. It was a tour to be endured, not enjoyed. Darren Gough, who has never played a Test in India and whose appearances in this country are limited to a solitary one-day match, decided that the experience wasn't worth the effort.

The shadow of bookie Mukesh Gupta was enough to keep Alec Stewart at home, and Marcus Trescothick, England's big batting hope and captain-in-waiting, saw enough in one visit to the Khyber Pass to declare India a dangerous country. Nasser Hussain, born in Chennai and captain of England, hasn't yet said as much, but you don't have to be a genius to read between the lines and guess what he will be saying to the ECB this afternoon. Hussain strongly feels that the ECB shouldn't take a unilateral decision on the tour of India, and that the players must have their say.

There's a possibility that we might hear a statement like this: "Many of the players felt there was an unacceptably high level of uncertainty surrounding the tour and the decision to call it off has been reached by consensus of opinion canvassed from our selected players."

Does that sound familiar? Those were the last words of Colin Love, the chairman of the Australian Rugby League, in announcing their withdrawal from a seven-week tour of England. The English press were quick to condemn the move, with Ian Wooldridge gleefully proclaiming in his Daily Mail column that "The Kangaroo is Chicken".

This is not to suggest that player-safety is a matter to be trifled with. It is a major concern, and should transcend all other considerations. But the decision should be based on reality, and not far-fetched perceptions. The English players could start by taking some lessons in geography and history. India is a vast country, and the whole of the United Kingdom is smaller than some Indian states. Kabul is further from most Indian cities than Sarajevo is from London.

It is a fact that India has coped with more terrorism, death and destruction than many developed nations put together. But it is also a fact that 95% of the country is as safe as any English county. Mumbai, even after the gruesome communal riots and the horrific serial bomb-blasts in 1995, is among the safest cities in the world, certainly much safer than New York.

Though Taliban-trained terrorists have operated with impunity in Kashmir for nearly a decade now, their influence has been largely limited to the valleys. Surely, for them, the Indian government has been as big an enemy as the Tony Blair government to Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaida group since September 11. Using that logic, the Indian cricket team -- infinitely more high-profile than the English one would be in India -- would have been a much softer target. But the only fallout of the terrorist violence in Kashmir on cricket has been the suspension of matches in Srinagar, and Srinagar is as far from say, Bangalore, as London is from Kosovo.

But, yes, the Indian Board should be sensitive to the concerns of English players, and even though there is no perceived threat to the English team in Ahmedabad and Mohali, the Tests should be shifted away from these two north-western cities. That's a pity, as Mohali is among the most beautiful of Indian grounds and has the most sporting pitch in the country. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the new chief of Indian cricket and a Calcutta man, will be only too happy to oblige.

It would have been a shame if Calcutta hadn't hosted a Test against England, and now there is an opportunity to right a wrong. Mumbai or Chennai could be the other centre. Hussain should welcome the idea of playing in Chennai, his birthplace. And he should stop making statements about "anti-US riots" in India. Surely, there is difference between a peaceful demonstration and a riot. The best way for Hussain to find out would be to see for himself. This is a troubled world already -- we can do without misinformation.

Sambit Bal is editor of Wisden.com India.

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