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| January 28, 2003 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 24, 1423 |
England players want Zimbabwe tie switched
LONDON, Jan 27: England players have urgently requested that next month’s World Cup cricket match in Harare be switched to South Africa due to the deteriorating political situation in Zimbabwe.
“As concerns within the England team grow over the current political situation in Zimbabwe, the players have today requested an urgent review of their scheduled World Cup match against Zimbabwe in Harare on Feb 13,” a statement by England’s Professional Cricketers’ Association said on Monday.
“Without doubt the issues have been weighing heavily on the players’ minds, taking into account the moral, political and contractual aspects. Concerns have been increasing daily.”
One man died and seven others were injured last week after attackers lobbed petrol bombs at an office of Zimbabwe’s ruling party, further increasing political and economic tension in the country.
“As recently as Thursday (Jan 23), representatives of the players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) met with government officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO),” the joint statement said.
“It was made clear the situation in Zimbabwe is highly volatile.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the team have come under pressure to pull out of the match because of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s policies, which opponents say have caused food shortages and violence.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair this month urged the team not to play in Zimbabwe, but insisted he had no power to prevent them going.
England captain Nasser Hussain stressed last week his players were committed to playing in Zimbabwe, but admitted he and his side were “wrestling with their consciences” over conditions in the southern African country.
“The players are greatly concerned for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe...it is very important that no Zimbabwean, or any individual, comes to any harm because of a cricket match in Harare,” Richard Bevan, managing director of the players’ association, said on Monday.
The sport’s ruling body, the International Cricket Council, said after a fact-finding mission last week that the six World Cup matches scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe should go ahead because it was confident players’ safety could be guaranteed.
Australia, India, Pakistan, Namibia and Holland are also due to play games in Zimbabwe.
Bevan said ECB chief executive Tim Lamb and ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed would meet this week to discuss the situation again. A contingency plan for matches to be switched has been in place since late last year.
World Cup organisers said they still expected the games in Zimbabwe to go ahead.
“We still believe that the situation on the ground in Zimbabwe is fine,” tournament spokesman Jos Charle said.
“We have always maintained that...if it should be found to be dangerous to the players...we would move the matches. As matters stand, the matches will go ahead in Zimbabwe.”
But England’s controversial match could be moved to a different venue “almost overnight”, World Cup chief Ali Bacher said on Monday.—Reuters
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