British media lambast Modi for "insensitivity"

BCCI vice-President Lalit Modi was chastised on Friday by the British media for suggesting that England's cricketers should return to India for next month's Test series despite their heightened security fears in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks.

England abandoned the one-dayers, calling off the last two games of the seven-match series, due to the deadly terror strikes in Mumbai which left over 100 dead.

Modi, who is also the commissioner of the cash-rich Indian Premier League, had stated on Thursday that he was confident about Kevin Pietersen and Co returning for next month's two Test matches, one of which is scheduled in Mumbai.

The comments were denounced by the media here with wide-selling tabloid 'The Daily Mail' describing him as "crass and insensitive".

"It is highly unlikely England will return whatever the cost to the ECB's relationship with the Indian board and, specifically, Lalit Modi, the Indian administrator who pulls the strings here. He had earlier shown crass insensitivity by announcing that the series would go ahead as new explosions were taking place in Mumbai.

"It was as if the Indian administrator who is taking over the game was determined to make it as difficult as possible for England to make their escape, as if his insensitivity in proclaiming to Sky and the BBC that the tour must go ahead was intended to cause maximum disruption to England and the man he has very much under his thumb, ECB chairman Giles Clarke," the 'Daily Mail' said.

The 'Daily Telegraph' was equally scathing in its criticism of Modi calling him a "single-minded character".