(CNN) -- England's cricket squad have confirmed they are flying out to Abu Dhabi on Thursday and will resume their two-Test tour of India following days of talks with security advisors.
England's cricketers left India under heavy security after the Mumbai attacks.
The England and Wales Cricket Board announced they will continue the tour, which was abruptly halted following the terrorist attacks on Mumbai last week, following two days of talks with security experts and government officials.
The original squad, minus Ryan Sidebottom, will fly out for a training camp in Abu Dhabi alongside nine members of the Performance squad and will continue their journey to Chennai for the first Test, which starts a week on Thursday.
Left-armer Sidebottom will miss the tour having failed to recover from a side strain sustained during the one-day series -- while fellow-seamer Stuart Broad remains behind for further treatment on a hamstring problem before flying to Chennai.
Security advisor Reg Dickason has expressed himself satisfied with the arrangements in Chennai -- although he is yet to visit second Test venue Mohali.
An ECB statement read: "Hugh Morris, Managing Director of England Cricket, outlined to the England players that the tour would go ahead subject to security recommendations being implemented.
"The England Test squad will therefore practice in Abu Dhabi and will fly on to India early next week for the two Test matches in Chennai and Mohali if the security recommendations have been put in place.
"All the players have received reports from the ECB security team and also the recommendations that Reg Dickason, the team security adviser, has insisted the Board of Control for Cricket in India adopt."
While England are practicing in Abu Dhabi, Hugh Morris and Sean Morris, of the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA), will consult with Dickason in India. The two will then fly to Abu Dhabi to brief the players.
Hugh Morris said: "The only consideration in all our discussions has been the safety and security of the team and support staff. We have been delighted by the input of the PCA and also the willingness of the BCCI to act upon our recommendations regarding security.
"While we have sought to reassure players that their safety is paramount we have not pressurised any player into making the trip against their will.
"Those who leave for Abu Dhabi are all anticipating travelling to India if both Sean and I are happy that Reg Dickason's security plans have been activated."
Earlier, former player Dominic Cork insisted that as many as six key players did not want to make the trip.
Cork told BBC Radio Five Live that the team were "traumatized" by the terror attacks in Mumbai and that they should make a stand over safety concerns.
"I am not sure about the captain (Kevin Pietersen)," he said. "I know of certain players who are going to put their families first. If one doesn't go, they all shouldn't go," added the former Test star, who is still playing county cricket.
John Stern, editor of the respected Wisden publication, told CNN on Wednesday that he believed the tour would resume, adding that if England stayed at home it would be "hugely damaging" for relations between the ECB and the Indian Board of Cricket Control (BCCI)
The two boards are deep in negotiation over the release of England players for the second staging of the lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.
ECB chairman Giles Clarke had already strongly hinted a return was likely.
"Under no circumstances will we allow our cricket to be dictated to by terrorists," he told the Press Association on Tuesday. "India is an enormous country and there are large parts of it that have never seen terrorist activity."
England Test squad:
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire) cpt, Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire), James Anderson (Lancashire) Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Alastair Cook (Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Stephen Harmison (Durham), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Matthew Prior (Sussex), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire).
Performance Squad:
Ravinder Bopara (Essex), Mark Davies (Durham), Robert Joseph (Kent), Amjad Khan (Kent), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Oliver Rayner (Sussex), Alan Richardson (Middlesex).
Meanwhile, West Indies will tour England next year to replace Sri Lanka, who decided not to send a full-strength side because of the demands of the Indian Premier League.
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed that West Indies will play two Tests and three one-day internationals in May before England face Australia for the Ashes.
Sri Lanka were unable to send a full side because many of their leading players are contracted to play Twenty20 in the IPL, which clashes with the scheduled tour. The first Test starts on May 6 at Lord's and the last one-day international takes place on May 26.
Sri Lanka were themselves only a replacement for Zimbabwe. England scrapped that series, with the backing of the British government, in protest against Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe.
"The West Indies are always popular visitors and this completes a wonderful summer of cricket," ECB chief executive David Collier said.
"ECB is most grateful for the excellent support and co-operation provided by the West Indies Board with whom we have developed an excellent and warm relationship."
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