Future of Zimbabwe cricket

UK minister explains Zimbabwe decision

Cricinfo staff

June 29, 2008

Andy Burnham, the British culture secretary, has gone into more detail about the government's decision to instruct the ECB to cut bilateral ties with Zimbabwe.

They sent a letter to the ECB last week telling them to cancel Zimbabwe's planned tour of England next year and Burnham said it was Zimbabwe Cricket's close links with Robert Mugabe's regime that was a key issue.

"One of the facts that weighed in my mind was you do have to consider the closeness of the cricket authorities in Zimbabwe with the Mugabe regime, that is a very important factor," he told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme. "We had been watching the situation in Zimbabwe over the first half of the year and like everybody we hoped it would improve after the first presidential elections earlier in the year.

"Obviously that hasn't happened. We sent the letter because we felt the point of decision had come", he added. "We had the developing situation with the elections in Zimbabwe this weekend and the ICC next week. So we had reached the point of decision and felt it was right to set out our view.

"I would never want to have to send another letter like this but there are occasions when exceptional circumstances arise where you can't ignore the situation - and this in my view fell into that category."

Although the government has made it clear that Zimbabwe won't be welcome in the UK next summer, there is still the issue of their participation in the World Twenty20 in June. This will be decided at the ICC's meeting in Dubai next week, but if the ICC doesn't withdraw Zimbabwe's Full Member status - and they remain eligible for the tournament - it faces being taken away from England.

However, Burnham said he would wait until the outcome of the ICC discussions before deciding what will happen. "The first step is we'll meet the ECB, listen to their report back of the meeting, consider the arguments.

"If we haven't held sway we would listen to the arguments of the other ICC members - but our position is completely clear. We think in the current circumstances in Zimbabwe it isn't right for any tour to take place.

"I would not want to be in a position of overruling a governing body in sport. I vigorously defend the independence of our sporting bodies and will always do that."

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