England arrive in India for one-day series

Calcutta, January 11: England's 15-member cricket squad arrived here on Friday amid tight security for a six-match one-day series against India starting next week.

Apart from airport security personnel, gun-toting commandos had taken up position at the airport well before the arrival of Nasser Hussain's side for the second leg of the tour.

England had returned home for Christmas after losing the three-Test series 1-0 last month.

The tourists, who have arrived more than a week in advance to adjust to the conditions, will meet India in the first one-dayer in the eastern city of Calcutta on January 19.

England were originally scheduled to play five matches, but later agreed on an additional one-dayer at the request of Indian cricket chief Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The other five one-dayers will be played at Cuttack (January 22), Madras (January 25), Kanpur (January 28), Delhi (January 31) and Bombay (February 3). Hussain is scheduled to hold a press conference later on Friday.

England squad:

Nasser Hussain (Essex, capt), Andrew Caddick (Somerset), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), James Foster (Essex), Ashley Giles (Warwickshire), Darren Gough (Yorkshire), Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire), Ben Hollioake (Surrey), Nick Knight (Warwickshire), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Jeremy Snape (Gloucestershire), Graham Thorpe (Surrey), Marcus Trescothick (Somerset), Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire).