Zimbabwe’s tour of England scrapped as ECB severs ties
The England and Wales Cricket Board yesterday released a statement which confirmed they were suspending bilateral arrangements with the African country, following the lead of South Africa earlier this week.
Just hours after it was announced that the International Cricket Council would revisit the Zimbabwe issue at their annual executive board meeting next week, Andy Burnham, the secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, despatched a letter to ECB chairman Giles Clarke instructing them not to entertain the African country.
Although the correspondence stopped short of banning the Zimbabweans from participating in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, the inference is that there will be intervention if the ICC do not act first.
“The ECB deplore the position in Zimbabwe and, like Cricket South Africa, find this untenable,” the ECB statement read. “Therefore all bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect.
“The Government have written to the ECB today and have made a clear instruction that Zimbabwe’s bilateral tour should be cancelled.”
Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged other countries to join Britain in calling for Zimbabwe to be banned from the World Twenty20, which is scheduled for next June.
“We want to ensure that Zimbabwe do not tour England next year. We will call for other countries to join us in banning Zimbabwe from the tournament,” he told MPs.
With their staunchest allies South Africa already turned against them, all the signs are that other countries will vote for Zimbabwe’s exclusion next Wednesday — a 70% proportion of the 10 Test-playing nations is required. In the scenario of Zimbabwe Cricket — of which leader Robert Mugabe is a patron — surviving, however, England would face losing their role as hosts in next year’s 20-over event should they extend their ban.
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