Flintoff and Pietersen in Limbo As Indian Government Set to Rule on Ipl

Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen's lucrative participation in the Indian Premier League hangs in the balance after the Indian government decided that it and not cricket authorities will decide whether the event takes place next month. Should the IPL be postponed – effectively scrapped – then England's best two players would be free to prepare for this summer's Ashes series without distraction or running the risk of injury.

The Indian government's change of heart comes after IPL organisers had said they would cover security arrangements in April and May, the months the subcontinent goes to the polls. But with some states unsure of whether they can spare police in the wake of this week's fatal attacks in Lahore on the Sri Lanka team, India's home ministry has insisted that paramilitary forces cannot be overstretched. Sources in New Delhi said that a decision on whether to postpone the event until after the elections will be made following an "overall security assessment".

Maharashtra, home to the Mumbai Indians, and West Bengal, represented by the Kolkata Knight Riders, have said that they would need paramilitaries to ensure security for the event. Pietersen, who was signed by the Bangalore Royal Challengers, and Flintoff, recruited for a record $1.5m (£1.1m) by the Chennai Super Kings, were to meet in one of the opening matches of the six-week long league, but that schedule has now been scrapped.

The IPL authorities approached the government with a new fixture list, guaranteeing no games 48 hours before and after polling day, but even that has been rejected in West Bengal, where elections are always heated affairs.

Given the nature of the Future Tours Program, a postponement would effectively mean a cancellation, and IPL officials are hoping that it will not come to that. At worst, the 44-day event would be compressed into 30 days, a testing schedule for players playing in 35C temperatures. The IPL pays on a per-game basis. A shorter tournament would mean higher earnings for Flintoff and Pietersen.

Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara are the other England players involved, and will monitor developments as they prepare for the final Test against West Indies. Further pressure was put on organisers yesterday as it was revealed the IPL had failed to respond to two requests from the international cricketers' body to explain what security procedures will be in place during the tournament.

Tim May, CEO of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, told the Guardian that his association has twice written to the IPL to demand a detailed safety plan. "A letter was sent to the IPL on 18 February with the request. When this was not answered, we again asked last week," May said. "A significant number of international players take part in tournaments overseas subject to the level of assurance of security. They're used to having an independent review of security procedures."

Meanwhile, a minute's silence for the victims of this week's attack in Pakistan will be held before the fifth Test, which starts in Port of Spain today.