Gary Kirsten, the India coach, will return to the country this weekend after having received security assurances from the BCCI.

He had flown home to Cape Town after the final two one-dayers against England were called off following the terror strikes in Mumbai.

"I have had a lot of things to weigh up and it's obviously a concern with my family in South Africa," he told the Telegraph.

"But I am very much part of the India set-up, I enjoy working there and I want to keep the momentum going from the good work we have done recently." Opinion has been divided over whether England should return to India for the Tests starting next week, but Kirsten felt the tour must go on once the security experts have given the all-clear.

"There is no way that security can be guaranteed wherever you are in the world.

But you can't keep saying no.

There are terrorism threats everywhere, even the UK is not immune from them," he said.

"But if the professional security people who are paid to make these assessments have given the go-ahead then I think you have to go with it." However, he said he understood the pressures and concerns of the England players.

"They have given the best advice, it is now a case of whether as an individual you feel comfortable with it," he said.

"Some players will be concerned that if they don't go then someone else will go instead and so their place will be under threat." Kevin Pietersen, the England captain, had said on Thursday that he was "very confident" that the Tests will take place as scheduled.

England, though, are still waiting for a final decision on the tour after several major Indian airports were put on high alert following reports that they had received threats of attacks by hijacked aircraft.