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South Africa abandon cricket tour
 Cricket chief Majola said there was no alternative to returning home. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- South Africa will abandon their tour of Sri Lanka after a report by an independent security consultant, said that "the current risk to the team is at an unacceptable level". Cricket South Africa chief Gerald Majola said:"We have no alternative but to bring the team home as soon as possible." He also said there had been a direct threat from the Tamil Tiger Youth. Members of the team management and players were seen settling their hotel bills on Wednesday and attempting to change their flights in the team's Colombo hotel. "In the light of this independent report by the Olive Group, who were appointed at the behest of the International Cricket Council (ICC), we have no alternative but to bring the team home as soon as possible," Majola said. The pullout follows a car bomb blast that killed seven people near the team's hotel on Monday. South Africa, who lost the test series to Sri Lanka, were to have played in a triangular series with the hosts and India. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials said they were surprised and disappointed by the decision to pull out. "South Africa are pulling out of the tournament on the basis of a security company based in Dubai," SLC chief executive Duleep Mendis said. "How can a Dubai-based company assess the situation in Colombo when they had not sent anyone to the island to get first-hand information on the current situation?" Sri Lankan cricket authorities had tried to rescue the tournament by beefing up security, guaranteeing the team traffic-free roads for venue transfers, armed escorts and personal bodyguards. But Majola said at a press conference that the team had received a direct threat early on Wednesday from the Tamil Tiger Youth. "The Tamil Tiger Youth sent an e-mail to the (South African) High Commission this morning saying that the team must come home. I've seen the e-mail." Separate homelandThe Tigers are fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. Majola added: "We have discussed our withdrawal with the International Cricket Council and I was on the phone to (ICC CEO) Malcolm Speed this morning and they understand our situation. "The independent report...just confirms what our own security team and the High Commission have said, that it is unsafe to be in Sri Lanka at the moment," Majola said. "We have a wonderful relationship with Sri Lankan cricket and will now be talking to them about rescheduling the tournament in Sri Lanka once the situation improves, in South Africa or even at a neutral venue," he added. India have now agreed in principle to play a three-match one-day series against Sri Lanka, on Friday, Sunday and Tuesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said. 
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