JOHANNESBURG, 16 February 2003 — Cricket finally took center stage from its administrators yesterday when the World Cup technical committee awarded England’s Group A match in Zimbabwe to the hosts, thus ending a long-running battle of wills.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected England’s request to switch their Harare game to South Africa, ruling that the venue was safe despite the team’s security concerns and awarding the points to Zimbabwe.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told a news conference: “It’s a decision that gives the committee no pleasure.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided not to appeal against the decision, bringing an end to months of wrangling involving politicians, administrators and players.
“After careful consideration the ECB has decided not to appeal,” ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said. “We have done everything in our power to persuade the ICC of the merits of our case. The issue has gone on long enough and it’s time to move on in the interests of the cricket World Cup.”
Lamb described the weeks of wrangling over the match scheduled for Feb. 13 in Harare as a “protracted and unfortunate episode”, but suggested that the English ruling body could still resort to legal action. “The ECB does not agree with the decision of the technical committee and have been advised by our lawyers that the decision is legally incorrect,” Lamb said.
Nasser Hussain, however, said he would reassess his position as England captain at the end of the World Cup, having lost faith in cricket’s governing bodies. He added he did not think the ICC had taken England’s security concerns seriously enough.
“It makes me think more about my long-term future as captain after the tournament,” he told a news conference in East London.
“I have seen a group of players whose World Cup dream has been shattered by politics but should have been seen six months ago by people at the ICC. The authorities have fudged the issue.
“I believe that this group of cricketers given the wranglings between Britain and Zimbabwe have been let down by the ICC.” England may face calls for millions of dollars in compensation from sponsors for refusing to play in Harare.
Nasser threatens to quit in protest
England’s World Cup campaign was plunged into turmoil yesterday when skipper Nasser Hussain threatened to quit in protest over the Zimbabwe boycott crisis.
Hussain, in East London where England play their first match of the tournament against the Netherlands today, reacted furiously to claims that his England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) employers had apologized to ICC chief Malcolm Speed for him allegedly swearing at the Australian during a meeting over the boycott in Cape Town last week.
“I have nothing to apologize for. At no stage did I swear — I just let the head of the ICC know they had let us down,” said Hussain who was adamant he was considering his future in the job.
“Definitely — I haven’t made up my mind but I have to think about the future,” he said.
“The ICC should have seen the Zimbabwe crisis snowballing six months, a year ago. The whole issue has been fudged.
“We have all been let down by the authorities and I feel that the ECB has nothing to apologize for. The players’ dreams have all been shattered by politics.”
“As captain, I have been left isolated. I am feeling very low and it’s only the players and the cricket that have kept me going,” said Hussain. (Agencies)
