PCB chief warns of "a damaging split" in world cricket in wake of Mumbai terror strikes
30 Nov 2008, 1517 Hrs

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London, Nov 30 Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt has warned that the world cricket was in danger of "a damaging split" if countries like England and Australia refused to tour Asia after this week's bloodshed in India.

Following the recent Mumbai terror strikes lasting more than three days, England had cut short their one-day series in India after nearly 200 people died in the Mumbai attacks. Captain Kevin Pietersen said there was still doubt whether they would return to play two Tests against India before Christmas.

Pakistan had also suffered from teams refusing to tour because of security threats, most recently when the ICC Champions Trophy was postponed in September.

"It's a mutual thing. If they don't come we won't go ... you can't have separate pockets with people playing over here and England playing only Australia, that's not the essence of the game," Butt said in a BBC interview.

He added: "You can't have two separate groups ... because to continue to not participate in cricket in this part of the world in India and Sri Lanka, then it will be very difficult."

Butt further said that cricket could ease its troubles, but added that there needed to be co-operation between all the test-playing nations. "I think we will come out of it ... we talked about it at the last ICC (International Cricket Council) meeting but these problems are there and they need to be tackled," he said and added "It will be very difficult if there are two sets of rules for two sets of countries and there become two blocks (of countries) in the ICC. That would be a very dangerous thing", according to the Pakistan daily the Daily Times. (ANI)