ECB cuts ties with Zimbabwe Cricket
Wednesday, 25 Jun 2008 19:48
Zimbabwe's cricketers face ban by UK government
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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced it is suspending all its bilateral arrangements with
Zimbabwe Cricket "with immediate effect".
The announcement follows the earlier news that the government is to ban all Zimbabwean cricketers from UK shores due to the deteriorating political situation in the
African country.
The decision of the ECB echoes a similar denouncement of Zimbabwean domestic politics by Cricket South Africa - traditionally Zimbabwe's biggest supporters within the international cricketing community.
It means the scheduled Test and one-day series in 2009 in England will not go ahead and the ECB said it is "in detailed discussions" in a bid to identify a new opponent to replace Zimbabwe in next year's calendar.
A strongly-worded statement from the governing body of English cricket reads: "The ECB deplores the position in Zimbabwe and, like Cricket South Africa, finds this untenable.
"Therefore all bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect."
The statement also confirmed the news that a letter had been received by the ECB from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport instructing the cricketing governing body to cancel next year's tour.
The ECB said they "have been in constructive and extensive dialogue with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for some time" and welcomed the decision.
"[The ECB] shares the government's concerns about the deteriorating situation and lack of human rights in Zimbabwe," the statement added.
Culture secretary Andy Burnham delivered the letter to ECB headquarters at Lord's this morning notifying it of the decision, while a written ministerial statement to the Commons has informed MPs of the move.
The developments follow growing global condemnation of the political situation in Zimbabwe.
Opposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai has been forced to pull out of a runoff election because of violence aimed at his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters.
Yesterday the International Cricket Council's (ICC) president-elect David Morgan revealed the sport's world governing body is to consider banning Zimbabwe from the World Twenty20 tournament in June 2009.
Now it appears Zimbabwe's cricketers will be prevented from participating because of action by the UK government, which has in the past stopped short of mixing politics with sport when it comes to Mr Mugabe's regime.