MARCUS Trescothick has backed the decision to send the England team home from India following this week's terrorist attacks.

Somerset's former England man insists it will be difficult to guarantee the safety of the players on the sub-continent.

Kevin Pietersen's squad is heading home today with the planned seven-match one-day series cut short by two games.

The two-Test match series, which was scheduled for next month, is still officially on with the second fixture now moved from Mumbai – the focal point of the attacks – to Chennai.

But many are questioning whether the England team will return to India at all this winter.

Trescothick chose to tour India in the winter of 2001 despite the trip being in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

His Somerset colleague Andrew Caddick chose not to go but this time Trescothick has full sympathy with his former colleagues.

Trescothick said: "Watching it all on TV you can totally understand how the lads are feeling.

"There is so much at stake and the safest decision has to be to come back.

"Everyone wants to go out to play cricket and there is a lot of money at stake with TV rights but safety has to be the number one priority and I am not sure how you can guarantee that in a stadium full of people."