SYDNEY, Feb 23: Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower, at the centre of black armband protest against the regime of president Robert Mugabe, may play cricket in Australia, a newspaper report said here on Sunday.

Flower and teammate and Henry Olonga were warned on Saturday to either drop their black armband protest or face being axed from their country’s World Cup squad.

Flower said he was close to signing a deal with an unidentified Australian state team.

“I’d love to come and play cricket in the domestic competition in Australia,” Flower told Sydney’s Sun-Herald on Sunday.

“Obviously, things are a bit difficult here at the moment and I’d enjoy having a playing stint there and having temporary residence there.

“I’ve had some discussions and to be honest it is something I’d like to do.

“The talks I’ve had have been very positive and the appeal is very obvious.

“We should know exactly what is happening in the next couple of weeks.

“Right now the focus is on other other things, with everything that is going on.

“But playing playing in Australia for six months is looking like a real possibility.”

Flower and Olonga were called seperately to attend a specially convened meeting of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union executive board in Bulawayo on Saturday and told to abandon their protest.

Olonga and Flower won world-wide praise for their courage when they wore black armbands in their country’s opening World Cup clash against Namibia on Feb 10 and issued a powerfully-worded statement condemning the regime of president Mugabe and the deteriorating conditions in the country.

Flower and Olonga had been reported to the International Cricket Council by their own federation but the world governing body decided not take action against the pair.

“I expected the matter to be dealt with after the tournament,” said Flower on Saturday. “But I can’t comment on the meeting today.”—AFP