Vaughan calls for safety assurance

Michael Vaughan has said he has no problem going on England's tour to India next month if assurances are given about players' safety, he said yesterday.

Some of England's Test players, including Vaughan's Yorkshire colleague Craig White, have questioned the wisdom of going to the subcontinent in its current state of unrest. The England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tim Lamb has suggested players' fears will be allayed before travelling and on Tuesday Nasser Hussain's men will meet the Delhi high commissioner, who will advise them on the issue.

The party are due to fly to India in a little over three weeks and the three-match Test series still remains in doubt. But Vaughan said: "If the Foreign Office say it's safe to go, I would go. We have got a meeting on Tuesday and I am sure we will be told what is going on.

"I saw Craig White was voicing his concerns about travelling there and I am obviously a bit concerned about going. But I cannot really say anything until I have heard from someone that lives there and knows what it's like. "

The players meet today before heading for Tuesday's talks and Vaughan added: "I am sure there will be some discussion amongst ourselves to see where we stand at this stage."

Britons were told to keep a low profile in India as the airstrikes began on Afghanistan a fortnight ago. That recommendation raised serious doubts about the tour's feasibility.

Vaughan, a member of Yorkshire's County Championship-winning side last season, added: "I have been to India a couple of times. It's a great place to tour and I know people were looking forward to going. I'm very keen to get out there and play some cricket but we will have to see what advice we are given."

Hussain, who was born in Madras, said he had still to decide whether or not to tour. "It's not just players who are going, there's physios. Everyone's going to have to make the decision with the ECB," he said.

Hussain referred to the six Chelsea footballers who refused to travel to Israel this week. "That's a personal safety decision everyone's going to have to take," he said.

* The Australia captain Steve Waugh, recovering from illness and injury, will play only one club game ahead of the first Test against New Zealand starting in Brisbane on November 8. Waugh had previously stated his desire to play for New South Wales in their Australian interstate four-day match against South Australia starting on Friday in Sydney. However, Waugh has announced he will miss that match and play for Sydney club Bankstown on 3 November.