PCB chairman warns of divide

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has warned of a divide in the cricketing world if countries decide not to tour the subcontinent because of security concerns in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

"If certain countries play separately with two sets of rules it will be a dangerous situation," Butt told the BBC. "It's a mutual thing. If they don't come [to the subcontinent], we won't go [there]. You cannot have separate pockets with England only playing Australia.

"We have to agree something. It has to be with all Test countries. You can't have four Test countries playing each other and the other four playing separately as well."

England cut short their tour of India after five ODIs following the terrorist strikes and returned home. It is uncertain whether they will return for the two-Test series scheduled to begin on December 11 in Ahmedabad. The atrocities in Mumbai also forced the postponement of the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League, which was scheduled from December 3.

Pakistan have also suffered from teams putting off tours to the country citing security concerns. Australia postponed their tour earlier this year and the Champions Trophy was also shifted from September 2008 to October 2009. Pakistan have not played a Test since December 2007 and there are security-related doubts over the upcoming home series against India in January.