Cricket blast: 'We're lucky no one was killed'

Claims that IPL players - including Black Caps star Ross Taylor - were pressured to play a match after bombs exploded outside an Indian stadium are being investigated by players' representatives.

Ten people were injured when two bombs exploded outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, where an Indian Premier League match between Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Mumbai Indians was about to start.

Two more unexploded bombs were later found near the stadium

Bangalore is likely to lose hosting rights to the two semifinals to Mumbai.

Taylor played for Bangalore in the match, and three other Black Caps - Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond and Brendon McCullum - were with other IPL teams. The incident has raised questions about the safety of sports stars in India, including foreigners playing in the IPL and athletes at the Commonwealth Games in October.

The London Sunday Times reported yesterday that match organisers demanded that players vote on whether the game should go ahead after yesterday's explosions.

The paper said the Indian players had said yes, but England star batsman Kevin Pietersen and South African allrounder Jacques Kallis were "massively unhappy".

New Zealand players' association manager Heath Mills said it would be "completely and utterly inappropriate" if players had been asked to vote on whether to play.

"Players are in no position to make decisions on security and whether there's a risk in an event continuing. That should be in the hands of professional, independent people."

Mr Mills said his association had asked security consultant Reg Dickason for a report on the incident.

"We want to ascertain what went on here, get some facts and see whether there's been a security breach."

He said the explosion was "hardly surprising".

"Our security adviser has been telling us for some time something was likely going to happen and he invariably gets it right. We're just fortunate no one was killed and it wasn't worse."

IPL organisers have vowed that security will be "watertight" for the remainder of the tournament.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee's chef de mission to the Commonwealth Games, Dave Currie - who is also the Black Caps' manager - said the committee would continue tomonitor the situation in India.

"We're not going to put the safety of athletes at risk. That's our prime concern the whole way through."

Commenting on the Bangalore explosion, Mr Currie said: "I think it's significant they carried on and played the game. They must have been comfortable enough to do that."

NZ Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said tours to Sri Lanka in July, Bangladesh in October and India in November would be thoroughly reviewed, as would having contracted players playing in India.

"We have to rely on the security experts. It's hard to know at this stage until we start getting more information.

"You can manage the environment the best you can but you can't stop bad people wanting to harm others, you can only hope to stop them before they do it."

Black Cap Kyle Mills, who was preparing to fly to Australia with the Black Caps for Twenty20 World Cup warm-up matches, told One News he was concerned for the safety of his Black Cap teammates in the IPL.

Taylor, the Black Caps' vice-captain, said he knew immediately a bomb had gone off because the noise was so loud.

His manager, Leanne McGoldrick, said: "I spoke to Ross and he said he was having throwdowns on the field when it went off.

"He said he knew straight away what it was, the noise was so loud. It was pretty frightening."

Black Caps' coach Mark Greatbatch said he had spoken to Taylor.

Taylor had been picking up his fiancee, Victoria Brown, from the airport when he phoned and "obviously he was pleased she was with him".

Former Black Caps' bowler Simon Doull, who was about to commentate on the match, told Newstalk ZB yesterday that the explosions felt like a heart attack.

New Zealand's High Commissioner in India, Rupert Holborow, told the Herald the bombings "like all attacks, are a discomforting development".

The High Commission had been in discussions with New Zealand's Commonwealth Games organising committee and Government agencies.

- Additional reporting: AP, Adam Bennett