The Telegraph
Indian media hail England as heroes after players agree to play Test series The England team have been lauded as heroes by the Indian media following their decision to go ahead with the two match Test series.
By Nick Hoult Last Updated: 10:53PM GMT 09 Dec 2008
Kevin Pietersen's decision to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with the Indian people following the terror attacks in Mumbai has ensured them huge popularity in a cricket-mad nation.
An editorial in The Hindu newspaper described the England team as perfect ambassadors for their sport.
"That Kevin Pietersen's team rallied with clear-eyed pragmatism and finally chose the difficult - yet correct - path is something that will be a lasting testimony to their sense of duty and professionalism," wrote the newspaper.
"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) never put any pressure on the England Cricket Board to save the tour. The ECB itself left the final decision to the players themselves. This is precisely why Pietersen and his men should be celebrated as heroes.
"Sport cannot do much to heal wounds inflicted by terrorists. But with their admirable show of solidarity at a difficult hour, the English players have sent out a simple message to professional sportsmen all over the world, the message that sport cannot run away from life. It is time to salute Pietersen and his men."
England's decision to donate half of their match fees to the victims of the Mumbai attacks will also add to the affection shown towards the team.
Before last month's terrorist atrocity it would have been inconceivable for the Indian board to issue a statement praising the ECB.
The two governing bodies have been at loggerheads for months over a number of matters ranging from the expansion of the Indian Premier League to the Zimbabwe issue.
But on Tuesday Inderjit Singh Bindra, a consultant for the International Cricket Council and one of India's leading administrators, added to the praise swirling around the tourists.
"We welcome England back to India, they have ensured cricket is the winner in these difficult times," he said.
The one thing even beyond Pietersen at the moment is to hold up a southern Indian typhoon.
Heavy weather is threatening to ruin the first Test in Chennai this week with England's net session today curtailed by the weather.
A heavy storm in the Bay of Bengal is threatening to hit Chennai over the next 48 hours, wrecking preparation for the first Test, which begins on Thursday.
-- My humanity is in feeling we are all voices of the same poverty. - Jorge Louis Borges