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| December 31, 2002 | Tuesday | Shawwal 26, 1423 |
Zimbabwe strikes back in boycott debate
MELBOURNE, Dec 30: Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard joined British premier Tony Blair’s call for a cricket World Cup boycott of Zimbabwe as the row over its co-hosting of the event intensified on Monday.
Zimbabwe chief government spokesman Jonathan Moyo responded by saying Britain and Australia wanted to keep “cricket white” by pulling out of matches there.
“If the British and the Australians want to keep cricket as a white and colonial sport, then they should do so alone because we are not interested in their rubbish,” Moyo told the official Herald newspaper.
“This is obviously not about safety and security, it is just political mumbo-jumbo,” Moyo added.
Zimbabwe received support on Monday from Pakistan, India and World Cup organiser Dr Ali Bacher of co-hosts South Africa while the Australian and English team captains have called for politicians, rather than players or administrators, to make the final decision.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair had confirmed his government was opposed to England playing there but had no power to ban them and would leave the final decision to the English cricket board (ECB).
His spokesman added on Monday that ministers were ready to meet representatives of the ECB if they wanted to talk but said none had been scheduled. “Their door is open,” he said.
Howard told Australia’s Channel Nine television on Monday that the sport’s world governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), should review its backing for Zimbabwe as hosts.
“You have appalling human rights abuses occurring in that country. You have a completely illegitimate, undemocratic, stolen government in Zimbabwe,” he said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday it had not been advised by the government not to play in Zimbabwe.
According to a PCB spokesman, Pakistan made a full tour of Zimbabwe last month and found nothing wrong with the security situation in either Harare or Bulawayo.—Reuters
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