NEW DELHI, Feb 28: Any decision by India to call off their test tour of Pakistan because of crowd trouble would be made only after consulting the government and players, cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya said on Saturday.

Dalmiya added it was unlikely such a scenario would arise but he did not directly respond to a request by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday that India relax a condition in the memorandum of understanding regarding an aborted tour.

The PCB had wanted India to soften a clause that allowed their players to return home on security grounds, which would leave the Pakistan board unable to claim any compensation.

"We've told the Pakistan Cricket Board the responsibility of security rests with the Pakistan government," Dalmiya told a news conference.

"We have told them such an eventuality (crowd trouble) would not arise but, if it does, our decision will neither be emotional nor taken in a hurry. We will be consulting our government and the players.

"We expect the series to be played in the right spirit."

Dalmiya added that his board had conveyed their views in writing to their Pakistani counterparts.

India are due to arrive on March 10 for their first Test tour of Pakistan in 14 years following years of political tension between the two countries.

India's players have already expressed security concerns over the visit. They have also refused to play Tests in the volatile cities of Karachi and Peshawar.

India visited Pakistan in 1997, when the first of three one-dayers at Karachi was interrupted by a stone throwing incidents which led to the Indian players leaving the field.

On their last Test tour a man ran on to the field threatening India captain Kris Srikkanth.

Dalmiya said the Indian players would be briefed by senior officials from the foreign and home ministries before departing for Pakistan.

The BCCI has also invited all former India captains to visit Pakistan during the tour, he added.

"This is a goodwill tour," he said. "We want more exchange of ideas between cricketing people."

India will play five one-day internationals followed by three Tests during the tour, which starts on March 10. The Indian squad will be selected on March 1 and a three-day camp would be held in Kolkata from March 7.-Reuters

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