Hussain said while the players' fear was understandable, they should also realise there responsibilities, one of them being to support the game in its hour of crisis.

"With the rewards and the lifestyle of being a modern international cricketer comes a responsibility to the game. It is a decision you have to make, whether you are prepared to accept that responsibility in good times and bad or whether you want to settle for an easier life. It is a very grown-up decision and there is no right or wrong answer," he explained.

However, he maintained that in case a player pulls out, it should not be held against him. "When we toured India in 2001 under my captaincy just after the attacks on New York, I had no problem accepting the decisions of Robert Croft and Andrew Caddick not to tour. I told them it would not be held against them and it should not be held against Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison or any other England players if they decide they are not prepared to go," he stressed.

Croft, who pulled out of the 2001 series in India after September 11 attacks in the US, said it was a decision he regretted.

"Having made the decision in the past (to pull out), I would probably change my decision that I made then. I think there will be a lot of sub-conscious pressure on Kevin Pietersen to go," Croft was quoted as saying by 'The Mirror'.

Croft hoped the England and Wales Cricket Board will make the right decision. "I think, knowing Hugh Morris, the managing director, I played with him at Glamorgan. He was a very, very conscientious individual when he played and I'm sure everything is very similar now," Croft said.

... contd.