HARARE, Feb 14: Not much moved at Harare Sports Club on Thursday morning, not even the flags.

They hung limply on a bright Zimbabwean summer’s day that cried out for a cricket match.

Instead, the flags adorned the match that never was — the World Cup Group ‘A’ game between Zimbabwe and England originally scheduled to be played in Harare on Feb 13.

The game was called off on Tuesday after a lengthy battle of wills between the ICC, which wanted the fixture played, and the England and Wales Cricket Board, which feared for its players’ safety in Zimbabwe.

The World Cup technical committee was meeting on Friday to rule whether the Harare match should be switched to South Africa, whether England should forfeit the match or whether the points should be shared.

So the wide, welcoming expanse of green turf lay untouched and the stands surrounding the ground remained empty and silent. The perfectly prepared pitch waited like a jilted bride.—Reuters