England batsman Paul Collingwood said his team was hoping that it gets a green signal from England and Wales Cricket Board's security delegation to play the first Test in Chennai as the players realised that terror-struck India needs cricket at the moment.
"Hopefully, we all get on that plane and play cricket, which is what we want. Hopefully, we send a team out there that is safe and plays cricket because that is what India needs at the moment -- cricket. We need to get back to playing because they're a cricket-loving nation," he said after the team's practice in Abu Dhabi.
The England team which had left India after playing only five of the seven one-dayers following the terror attacks in Mumbai will return to play two Tests, beginning Thursday, if their security delegation is satisfied with the security situation at the two venues.
"We all have concerns for obvious reasons but we are leaving it at the hands of people who know what's going on. What has happened there is absolutely unbelievable but at the end you have to put your trust in security officers who are gauging whether it is safe enough to go," Collingwood said.
Collingwood said the team is awaiting security delegation's decision which will be informed to them on Sunday but there is no pressure on anyone to go to India.
"Sunday night is D-Day. It is the time we get all the information back and there will be no pressure put on anybody to go back to India. Everybody knows that and everybody will have to make their own mind up. Hopefully, it's a team thing," he was quoted as saying by The Times.
"Obviously, the timing is not ideal but what we've got to do as a group of players is be 100 per cent mentally attuned to starting on Thursday," Collingwood said.
