Australia's cricketers are still waiting to learn whether they will proceed with their planned tour of India following a series of bombings that killed at least 20 people in New Delhi at the weekend.

The Australian government has issued a travel warning about visiting India but said the final decision on whether the players should tour would be left to Cricket Australia.

"We'll provide them with all of our up-to-date travel and assessment advisories," Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told local television yesterday.

"They are also, as I understand it, getting their own independent security advice which is what they do on a regular basis.

"But in the end it is for Cricket Australia to make a decision, which is how we have dealt with the proposed Pakistan test tour and also the proposed Champions Trophy."

The first test of the four-match tour is scheduled for October 9 in Bangalore with the third contest starting in Delhi on October 20.

Cricket Australia has already asked independent security officials to provide it with information on whether it is safe to tour and is expecting an answer in the next few days with the squad due to fly out for the tour this weekend.

Australia pulled out of its tour of Pakistan because of security fears and the Champions Trophy, which was also scheduled to take place in Pakistan but later postponed.

Australia's players are growing increasingly concerned about the situation in India but there have been no real suggestions of a boycott.

Meanwhile, Shane Warne has criticized troubled allrounder Andrew Symonds for showing a lack of respect to the Australian team.

Warne, who was the leading test-wicket taker of all time when he retired from international cricket two years ago, said Symonds let the side down when he reportedly chose to go fishing instead of attending a mandatory team meeting.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 16, 2008)