The entire England squad, including waverers such as Andrew Flintoff and Stephen Harmison, will leave this afternoon for a warm-up camp in Abu Dhabi, but it is by no means certain that all the players will be in India for the Test series, which is scheduled to begin a week today.

With security checks continuing in India, the squad will be joined by nine members of the England Performance programme, who are on standby if any of the first-choice players opt out of the onward journey to Madras (Chennai). The interim report on player safety compiled by Reg Dickason, the team security officer, is understood to contain reservations about the ability of the Indian authorities to implement the demands laid down by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) — including round-the-clock protection from a commando unit and an evacuation plan — before the squad’s arrival on Monday.

The existing security blueprint for Madras was drawn up for the Champions League, which was postponed after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Details for Mohali, where the relocated second Test is scheduled for December 19 to 23, are based on the operation for the recent match between India and Australia. Both plans were constructed before the attacks last week.

Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, spoke to each player at least twice during the 48 hours before the ECB confirmed last night that Abu Dhabi is to become a halfway house. A statement by the governing body also said that players have received security reports and the recommendations that Dickason has insisted upon from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Morris said: “While we have sought to reassure players that their safety is paramount, we have not pressurised any of them into making the trip against their will. Those who leave for Abu Dhabi are all anticipating travelling to India if both Sean [Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association] and I are happy that Reg Dickason’s security plans have been activated.

“For those who were out in India it was a very traumatic experience. I am just delighted to see that everybody will be on the plane to Abu Dhabi. I think this is very important and it shows a lot of solidarity. Kevin Pietersen [the captain] has been incredibly supportive and it is nice to see players lining up behind him.”

While England begin the build-up at Abu Dhabi Cricket Club, which recently hosted one-day internationals between Pakistan and West Indies, Hugh and Sean Morris will head for Madras today to meet Dickason, who is also planning to conduct a similar reconnaissance mission in Mohali.

The Morrises will fly to Abu Dhabi at the weekend to brief players, knowing that some may require persuading to go to India even if the security report is positive. That six of the nine Performance players are pace bowlers hints at recognition that Harmison, Flintoff and James Anderson still have concerns. Sean Morris admitted that players “are very nervous because they are being asked to go to an environment that is not necessarily the safest place on the planet right now”.

Dickason was followed by reporters and TV cameras on his tour of the Chidambaram Stadium in Madras yesterday. He was quoted as saying: “We had some security concerns and those have been addressed.”

David Morgan, the International Cricket Council president, senses ramifications for the wider game if the tour does not go ahead. “India’s contribution to world cricket is extremely important and it would be disastrous if India was seen to be unsafe for international cricket for any period of time,” Morgan said.

Ryan Sidebottom has withdrawn because of a side injury and Stuart Broad will miss the first Test because of a hamstring problem.

England Test squad

Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire) captain
Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire) – travelling directly to Chennai
Paul Collingwood (Durham)
Alastair Cook (Essex)
Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire)
Stephen Harmison (Durham)
Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire)
Matthew Prior (Sussex)
Owais Shah (Middlesex)
Andrew Strauss (Middlesex)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)

Performance Squad

Ravinder Bopara (Essex)
Mark Davies (Durham)
Robert Joseph (Kent)
Amjad Khan (Kent)
Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire)
Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire)
Liam Plunkett (Durham)
Oliver Rayner (Sussex)
Alan Richardson (Middlesex)

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