The 28-year-old said he is still shaking after learning of the attacks and when he discovered English tourists were being targeted it sent a shiver down his spine.

Writing in Sunday's News of the World, Pietersen said: "I'm still shaking from the terrorist atrocities in Mumbai. Every time I see the TV footage of the carnage in the Indian city, I realise how close we were to death."

He added: "I haven't slept thinking about the three-day rampage and siege.

"We were 800 miles from the attack, but suddenly we felt very vulnerable, especially as we had stayed at the targeted Taj Mahal Hotel just two weeks ago."

Pietersen said he feared the England team - and their captain - would be a target.

"It makes my blood run cold," he added.

But the England skipper said if the go-ahead was given by security experts to return for the Test series, he would return.

The second Test has already been moved from Mumbai to Chennai in a bid to calm fears. The first Test is scheduled to start on December 11 in Ahmedabad.