NEW DELHI, Nov 30: The Indian government is yet to decide whether to allow the national cricket team to tour Pakistan, amid serious doubts following the attacks in Mumbai, a government spokesman said on Sunday.

“Since the tour is in January there is still some time, we are discussing the issue,” foreign ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sought permission to tour amid security concerns over playing in that country.

The three-day rampage which killed nearly 200 people in Mumbai have dimmed hopes after the Indian government said it had proof of a Pakistani link, straining political ties between the south Asian neighbours.

Indian media quoted unnamed cricket officials on Sunday as saying the tour appeared doubtful. Indian board secretary N. Srinivasan refused to comment.

The NDTV and CNN-IBN news channels, quoting unnamed government sources, said the matches were also unlikely to be played at neutral venues.

There have also been reports that some England players are reluctant to return to India later this week to play a two-Test series.

“I would not, if somebody felt strongly, force their arm,” England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Hugh Morris said on Saturday.

England called off the last two games of a one-day series to return home following the attacks, with the two boards agreeing to go ahead with the Tests.

The BCCI shifted the second England Test from Mumbai to Chennai, but retained Vadodara as the venue for a three-day practice match from Dec 5 and the first Test in Ahmedabad from Dec 11.

The Pakistan tour would depend on a security assessment, Prakash said.

“Before any tour is undertaken an advance team goes and carries out an assessment. The team has not gone.

“We will wait for the team’s visit and its report on return before deciding anything.”

The Indian team did not go on a full tour of Pakistan for nearly 15 years until 2004 due to political tensions.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already raised concerns the attacks could scupper the series.

India are due to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 international during the Jan 13-Feb 19 tour.

The tour was first put in doubt earlier this month when the Indian government denied permission to the national junior hockey team to visit Pakistan.

Australia cancelled a Test tour of Pakistan in March and the International Cricket Council put off the high-profile Champions Trophy there in September due to security concerns.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt had said on Friday the fate of India’s tour lay in the hands of the respective governments.

“The security situation is out of our control and after what has happened in Mumbai, the decision on the Indian team’s tour of Pakistan is now in two governments’ hands,” Ijaz said.

“Relocating the home series to neutral venues was a huge financial loss in the past so it’s detestable but in an effort to give our players some cricket we will have to do that, but as a last resort.”

Cricket officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had offered to host the series.—Agencies