NEW DELHI, March 6: India's Railway Ministry on Sunday cancelled the two special trains which were to be run between Attari and Chandigarh for the convenience of visiting cricket enthusiasts from across the border for the first Test between India and Pakistan, it was offcially announced.

Indian officials said the two special trains, which were to be run from Sunday, had to be cancelled after Pakistan Railways could not run the link trains from Lahore to Attari due to "technical reasons".

The two special trains were to leave Attari at 2:15 pm and 4:30 pm and reach here at 8 pm and 10:15 pm respectively.

Meanwhile senior Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi were planning to head for Chandigarh, state capital of Indian Punjab, on Monday.

Sources told Dawn that Pakistan had not yet been officially informed if there was an invitation for President Gen Pervez Musharraf to visit the Mohali fixture strating on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board also had to return about 4,500 of the 7,500 tickets for the match that the Punjab Cricket Association had sent to the neighbouring country as they could not be sold.