MELBOURNE, Dec 7: With India not being seen as safe for international cricket following the Mumbai terror attacks, Australian captain Ricky Ponting stressed that India’s involvement is crucial to the survival of the game.

Doubts have been raised over the hosting of 2011 cricket World Cup in the subcontinent. India along with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are scheduled to host the mega event.

The chief executives of ten Test playing nations will meet in South Africa next week where security issue in the terror hit subcontinent will be discussed. However, Ponting urged the cricketing world to show solidarity with India, which last month suffered its biggest terror attack in its fiscal capital. “It is time for some strong leadership in the game and everybody needs India to be safe,” Ponting wrote in his column in The Australian.

”The heads of the Test-playing nations are meeting in South Africa next week and the players’ representatives are getting together in Malaysia. I know that India and security is the biggest issue they are going to have to deal with.”

”The game cannot afford not to have India involved, from a sporting, cultural and a financial aspect,” he said.—Agencies