May 16, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1429

MUMBAI, May 15: Rajasthan Royals captain-coach Shane Warne and several other leading international cricketers have said they will not return to Jaipur unless they received absolute guarantees about their safety and security and are even contemplating returning home.

The players, from a country that has never faced terrorism on its soil, have been badly shaken by the blasts in Jaipur.

Warne and fellow Australian Shane Watson and South Africa captain Graeme Smith were holidaying in Goa when at least 63 people were killed as bombs exploded on Tuesday night in the heart of the Pink City's main markets, also popular with foreign tourists and frequented by Warne's teammates.

Australian Darren Berry, manager of the team, told the Sydney Morning Herald there was "a real option of getting on the plane and getting out of here. It is terrifying. To think I was standing in the exact location the bombs went off only two days ago ... it was a couple of kilometres from the team hotel. The whole country has gone into lockdown."

"These games are getting big crowds. People over here tell me this has nothing to do with cricket, it is political. But if some people are prepared to cause this type of damage, detonating bombs in peak-hour to harm the most number of people possible, 50,000 people come to the stadium to watch the games, it is scary" Berry said.

"We wouldn't be moving until we had absolute guarantees, written guarantees from heads of (these) states and from heads of security," Berry told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Some of them are even thinking of returning home. The Rajasthan Royals are scheduled to play Bangalore Royal Challengers in Jaipur on Saturday night.

IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, however, rubbished such reports. "All Australian players and the team is going to play in Jaipur tomorrow. We are looking forward to it. Yes, they were little bothered but now they are assured. They are on their way to the city," Modi said.

"I am not at liberty to describe security arrangements but yes, We have the security arrangements beefed up. we are requesting everybody to come in the stadium without bags, lighters, matches or bottles. Also the players area would be totally cordoned off and nobody would be allowed to go near the players".

When asked if there was any hesitation among the players, Modi said although the cricketers were a little apprehensive earlier but were quite comfortable now.

"They were in fear about what the situation was. They were looking at media reports and at what was happening. When they came to know about all the arrangements that have been made on the ground, they were quite comfortable and happy with,” Modi said.— Agencies