Swann rules himself out

London: After Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff, England spinner Graeme Swann too has developed cold feet and is reluctant to tour India following the terror strikes in Mumbai.

Swann said though he has full faith in security adviser Reg Dickason, who is yet to give a go-ahead to the tour, he was not particularly keen on returning to India for the two-match Test series.

“I wouldn’t be 100 per cent happy with going back, you know,” the off-spinner said.

“There’s a security report being compiled and I have every faith in Reg Dickason, if he comes back saying, ‘Look guys, it’s safe, we can go back there, we can do some good and get playing sport’ then I would go. But until that report comes back, certainly at the minute, I’m not that keen, to be honest,” the player told BBC.

Incidentally, pacer James Anderson is also likely to stay back to be with his pregnant wife.

Swann admitted, for a spinner trying to cement his place in the side, skipping the India tour might jeopardise his prospects but said cricket lost its importance to him after the Mumbai terror strikes.

“Obviously it’s tricky for people like myself who are trying to forge a regular place in the team. It comes down to thinking, ‘If I don’t go will I miss out on future selection’ and stuff like that, which sort of clouds the issue a little bit. It’s certainly not an easy decision to make and not one that anyone will be enjoying.

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