HARARE, Aug 7: Organisers of next year’s Cricket World Cup confirmed at an official launch on Wednesday that the games scheduled for Zimbabwe would go ahead as planned.

The bulk of cricket’s showpiece tournament will be played in South Africa, with Zimbabwe scheduled to host six matches and a further two in Kenya.

Political strife in the country has raised doubts whether the games would proceed as planned.

But Jos Charle, the tournament’s communications director, told Reuters that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had committed itself to ensuring the matches — all involving Zimbabwe — were played as scheduled.

“The World Cup was launched here today, and (ICC chief executive) Malcolm Speed made a firm commitment that the ICC will do everything possible for the six matches to go ahead as planned,” Charle said at the launch in Harare.

“Cricket does not want to dabble in politics. We would like to use sport to unite people.”

The launch coincided with the opening of a ZWD $60-million ($1.1 million) media centre at Harare Sports Club, the scheduled venue for three matches.

The three other games in Zimbabwe have been planned for Bulawayo.—Reuters