Middlesex captain Shaun Udal has said the English county would not be travelling to Mumbai as planned following the terror attacks in the Indian city.The team were due to fly to Mumbai on Thursday for the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League but former England off-spinner Udal told Sky Sports: "All we know is our flight has been cancelled in the morning."
Udal added he understood the tournament, involving the domestic Twenty20 finalists from England, Australia, South Africa and the Indian Premier League (IPL), would continue but with the Mumbai matches moved to Bangalore.
Middlesex were due to play on the opening day of the competition a week Wednesday at Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium.
"It's horrific beyond belief," said Udal whose side were due to stay at the Taj Mahal Palace, one of two luxury hotels attacked Wednesday.
"We were due to fly out from Heathrow at 10 o'clock (1000 GMT) and we had a call tonight to say that those plans were now cancelled, and the plan is to move the Mumbai leg to Bangalore."
With Maharashtra state chief secretary Johnny Joseph saying 78 people had been killed and estimates of the number of injured ranging from 200 to 350, Udal said he was thankful Middlesex were not in Mumbai on Wednesday.
"What has made it particularly disturbing is the fact that we were going to stay at the Taj Palace Hotel 24 hours later," the 39-year-old former Hampshire bowler added.
"That's really brought it to heart.
"If we had gone out 24 hours earlier then that would have been the Middlesex team. It could have been us. That's what could have happened."
Udal, looking ahead, said Middlesex wanted to play in the lucrative tournament but that they would first seek advice regarding their own safety.
"If we are told it is safe to go then we will go. We want to play, but there are more serious issues to consider," he explained. "We have to consider all the options. I'm sure Middlesex will be in conversations with the (British) Foreign Office throughout the (Wednesday) night.
"If we are told everything is safe then we will go out there and entertain the Indian people and the people watching on TV. I hope we'll make the right decisions - and they will be made as soon as possible."
Both the future of the Champions League, due to run from December 3 to 10 with matches scheduled in Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai, and England's ongoing tour of India will now be called into question.
England went 5-0 down in a seven-match one-day series after losing by six wickets in Cuttack on Wednesday.
They were due to return to Mumbai, where their tour began three weeks ago, on December 16 ahead of the second and final Test starting three days later.
England had been scheduled to stay at the Taj Mahal Palace.
Team spokesman Andrew Walpole said they would consult the Foreign Office before deciding whether to proceed with the rest of the tour.
"We will be guided by the Foreign Office and will await developments," Walpole said. "We need to get a clearer idea of what the situation is before we react further."
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