Pietersen: commitment

It might be a small thing but if Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are there, heads bowed with black armbands on, then I believe it would mean a lot to the people of India.

Nasser Hussain.
Quotes of the week

Related links

Teams

• England
• India

Also see

• India unveil Test squad
• Test series 'to go ahead'

England fly out to Abu Dhabi today with my full backing.

I can't really fault the actions of the England & Wales Cricket Board - which is rare for me - since the atrocities in Mumbai and the decision to go ahead with the tour of India is the right one.

I'm very proud of the team. They are fulfilling their contract to world cricket and more importantly to India and its people.

Obviously the security situation needs to be reviewed on a daily basis, not least after today's reports of hijacked planes.

But India has been the heartbeat of world cricket for a while and the people out there who support the game are going through a difficult period. Now is not the time for Kevin Pietersen and his team to run and hide.

If in the next week one player, whoever it might be, decides that travelling on to India is a risk he does not want to take then so be it. You have to respect that decision but equally the side must move on.

Priorities

However, the cricket is secondary now. By all means play hard, make it tough and play as well as you can and win the series but fulfilling your commitment to the game is more important than the result.

Consequently, the pressure is off England because no-one really expects them to go out there and win.

I was in a similar position in 2002 when I led England in India without Darren Gough, Andrew Caddick, Alec Stewart and Robert Croft and we drew 3-3 all in the one-dayers.

We lost the Test series 1-0 - it could possibly have been 1-1 if it hadn't rained in Bangalore - but it was the most fulfilling trip I've ever been on because it brought us all closer together.

The point is that these events might actually make the current team a little bit stronger together.

Off the pace

Coach Peter Moores will be desperate to get some good practice in Abu Dhabi but the reality is that England will go into the Test series undercooked. After all that's happened in the last week together with the flights they've taken they are way behind both mentally and physically.

I hope England the players can get some middle-practice, not just nets. A lot of these guys would have left in the snow this morning and they are going out to a place with high humidity. They are bound to feel a bit sluggish on their feet.

This is where mental strength comes in. I never used to worry about the Thorpes, the Athertons or the Stewarts if they were going into games without form because they were big match players and that's why it's right for Andrew Flintoff to make the trip.

If you are going to make a statement then you need your big-name players to front up; the bottom line is that if you're fit, you're fit.

Test for Yuvraj

For their part, India have recalled Yuvraj Singh to their squad which is an interesting move. He has not done it in Test cricket yet so he'll be under pressure to perform, particularly as he's coming in as a replacement for Sourav Ganguly - one of the 'Fab Four'.

The one-day series proved he's in great form but he will have to work out how he is going to play.

You can tee-off in one-day cricket but he's going to get a lot more short-pitched bowling in the Tests with two men back and a short-leg in.

There are going to be more slips and gullies so if England get him early there will be more doubt going through his and India's mind.

Gesture

Obviously recent events will be uppermost in the minds of the Indian players too. I don't want to get too dramatic but I think a minute's silence before the first Test would be a good idea.

It might be a small thing but if Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are there, heads bowed with black armbands on, then I believe it would mean a lot to the people of India.

It will show the cricketers are playing on with the thoughts of people in their minds and that matters.