LONDON, 31 January 2004 — England’s cricket board (ECB) has delayed a decision on whether to tour Zimbabwe until after a meeting with the sport’s ruling body in March.
Earlier this month the ECB said it would decide on the tour in February but, at a meeting on Thursday, the ECB agreed first to meet the International Cricket Council (ICC) on March 9-10.
The Commonwealth of Britain and its former colonies and protectorates suspended Zimbabwe in 2002, saying President Robert Mugabe had rigged his re-election and harassed opponents.
England, who are scheduled to tour Zimbabwe in October, pulled out of a World Cup match in Harare last year because of security concerns.
At Thursday’s meeting the ECB’s management board reviewed the “many concerns” about the tour including those expressed by the British government.
The ICC had asked the ECB to share these concerns with its executive board in March before making a final decision, the ECB said.
“It (ECB) decided to respond positively to this request in the hope that it offers an opportunity to explore with all interested parties, all of the prevailing circumstances surrounding the planned tour, in order to establish whether they constitute an exceptional case,” an ECB statement said.
ICC President Ehsan Mani welcomed the ECB’s decision.
“During our meeting earlier this week I suggested to (ECB chairman) David Morgan that an appropriate forum for this issue would be the ICC executive board meeting in March,” Mani said in a statement.
At its meeting on Thursday the ECB heard from Des Wilson, chairman of its corporate affairs committee. The Times newspaper reported last week that Wilson said humanitarian issues should play a part in the final decision whether to tour.
The government of Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair has said the ECB must make the tour decision but it would give them an objective assessment of the political and security situation. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, in a letter to the ECB last week, said it was the government’s view “that the overall situation in Zimbabwe is worse today than it was during the cricket World Cup last year”.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Wednesday his government opposed the Australian team touring Zimbabwe in May, but the final decision had to be made by the country’s cricket authorities.
Australia Pick Hussey as Bevan Replacement
In Melbourne, Australia named uncapped batsman Michael Hussey yesterday to replace the injured Michael Bevan in their 13-man squad for the triangular one-day series against Zimbabwe and India.
Hussey, a left-hander like Bevan, has captained Australia A and his form has helped lift Western Australia to the top of the table in the interstate one-day competition.
The 28-year-old has scored 326 runs from five innings at an average of 81.50, including a century against New South Wales in November.
Australia chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said in a statement: “Michael Hussey has been knocking on the selection door for some time.
“His form as one of the (interstate one-day competition’s) leading run scorers this summer has been excellent.
“We will sit down and review the squad following the match (against India) in Perth (on Sunday) as the side moves into the finals series,” Hohns added.
