As the international players’ association has sent a warning that some members will not participate in the tournament as they are concerned about the Al-Qaida threat, the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is under siege.

Tim May, chief of the Federation of International Cricketers Association warned that players were agitated by Ilyas Kashmiri’s threat against players participating in sporting events in India, including the IPL.

The Australian quoted May, as saying,“ There is an extremely high level of concern from a number of players from a number of countries about the IPL and security.”

He further added,“ I think you''ll find that some players are more risk averse than others and will probably stay at home.”

Paul Marsh, chief executive of Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) said the mention of Al-Qaida had shaken his members.

Marsh said,“ We still haven''t received the report yet and once we get that we will obviously know what the next steps are.”

Adding further he said,“ There is definitely a concern, not just with our players either. We are all working off the same consultants and the same reports but the fact that it is an Al-Qaida threat is certainly concerning many.”

A detailed report is expected to be submit to the ACA by Reg Dickason, a security consultant who specializes in cricket, on Sunday.

As IPL falls outside the jurisdiction of Cricket Australia, it will be left to the individual players to decide whether or not they make the journey to India though Dickason’s report will conclude with an assessment as to whether player safety can be guaranteed during the tournament. (With Input from Agencies)