SYDNEY, April 21: Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has refused to take part in next month's tour of Zimbabwe. MacGill told Australia's selectors he was unavailable for the tour starting on May 17
because he "did not believe he could tour Zimbabwe and maintain a clear conscience."
"I have given this a lot of thought over a long period of time, and personally do not believe the situation in Zimbabwe is such that I can tour at this stage," he said in a statement.
Australia Prime Minister John Howard, who was chairman of a three-nation committee that suspended Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth in 2002, praised MacGill. "I always admire somebody who in his own way, for his own reasons forms a conscientious objection on something...I congratulate him for the strength of his character," Howard said.
Australian Cricket officials said they understood MacGill's objections and would not force him to tour or banish him from future selection. "He's uncomfortable with the political regime in that country," chief executive James Sutherland told a news conference. "He is uncomfortable with issues around the sufferance of the Zimbabwean people."
Sutherland said a number of other players had privately expressed their reservations about going to Zimbabwe but had agreed the tour should proceed. "We all understand the difficulty and complexity of the issue, but Cricket Australia, the player group and the ACA (Australian Cricketers Association) have agreed that, on balance, playing Zimbabwe cricketers in Zimbabwe is appropriate for the continued development of cricket as a global sport," Sutherland said.
Fast bowler Jason Gillespie said he saw nothing wrong with touring. "I don't see how Australia going over to Zimbabwe will be seen as endorsing what's going on...in Zimbabwe," he said.
MacGill's decision is sure to add fuel to the escalating crisis in Zimbabwe cricket. Fifteen rebel white players are in dispute with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), which began when former captain Heath Streak questioned the composition of the selection panel.
The selectors named a weakened side for their series with Sri Lanka, which started on Tuesday, raising fears of a horrible mismatch when they play world champions Australia. Several teams, including Australia, have been under intense political pressure to boycott Zimbabwe as world leaders express serious concerns about president Robert Mugabe's government.
Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer added to the pressure on Wednesday by calling on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to act. "If the Zimbabweans are going to persist in choosing cricket teams on the basis of the race of the players, then that's a matter that the International Cricket Council should focus on, because, after all, this was an enormous issue in the 60s and 70s with South Africa," he said.
The ICC has threatened international suspension and a $2 million fine for teams who refuse to tour a country, unless there are either legitimate safety or security concerns or they are asked not to go by their governments.
England appear likely to tour Zimbabwe in October, despite reservations about the host country's government, after a meeting at Lord's on Tuesday with ZCU chairman Peter Chingoka.
Sutherland said Australia's position was clear. "We go there to play cricket with other cricketers to fulfil our obligations to world cricket through the ICC future tours program, and for no other reason." -Reuters
