Beware wrong judgment after correct choice
England will take up their bats again for the India Test tour
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Monday, 08, Dec 2008 09:52
It will have come as a surprise to very few that the England Test tour of India is back on, although others will raise an eyebrow that not a single player has opted out of the trip.
This particularly so given the previous history of such affairs - in 2001, for instance, when a couple of players decided not to tour India on the basis of a perceived terrorist threat following the 9/11 attacks.
When the contexts are compared, unanimously opting to tour now when the recent incident has actually been on Indian soil seems far braver. But it is also a logical decision.
If the England team were to be targeted, a time when they are guarded by a platoon of heavily-armed commandos on high alert would hardly be the opportune moment to try.
Moreover, as recent history has shown, these events can happen in Western cities and there would have been accusations of overreaction by Australia if they had gone home in July 2005, particularly with thousands of their countrymen living in London.
The harsh truth is that the risk of terrorism exists all over the world and the past few years have shattered any illusions to the contrary. If this tour was to be called off because of it, one might as well cancel every other series as well.
On the field, the team's ad hoc preparation in Abu Dhabi will probably be wholly inadequate for taking on a side that has just beaten Australia.
If, as is expected, this leads to a resounding defeat in such circumstances, nobody should judge England harshly.
On a purely cricketing level, it is the spring tour to the West Indies that may matter more. This is perhaps doubly so as the Caribbean side is now pencilled in to replace Sri Lanka's IPL-contracted cricketers in the short Test series in England in May.
As a form of preparation, it will be far more useful to be playing a West Indies side with a moderate seam attack and no decent spinners than face up to Murali and Mendis, since the former prospect bears a closer resemblance to what Australia will provide.
However it is in these two Indian Tests that the bowlers will be able to pit themselves against a batting line-up of comparable strength.
Even in these circumstances, thoughts may never stray too far from the upcoming Ashes.
Charles Britten