Zimbabwe avoid suspension
Troubled Africans to miss Twenty20 Championship
Last updated: 4th July 2008
Zimbabwe have avoided being suspended by the International Cricket Council after a last-minute compromise saw them agree to pull out of next year's World Twenty20 Championship in England.
England and South Africa had wanted Zimbabwe excluded from all international cricket following the deteriorating political situation in Harare, where Robert Mugabe was controversially re-elected as president.
However India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka had all come to the support of Zimbabwe.
Now, following extensive talks in Dubai, the ICC has now agreed to keep Zimbabwe in the fold after the troubled country agreed to India's request to withdraw from the World Twenty20 Championship.
The British government has already made it clear that they would not issue visas to the Zimbabwe side, making their involvement unlikely unless the ICC moved the tournament to another country.
Zimbabwe Cricket Union president Peter Chingoka told AFP his country had voluntarily pulled out of the event.
"Zimbabwe has agreed not to participate in the Twenty20 World Championships in the wider interest of cricket," Chingoka said.
"But we will continue to be a full member of the ICC and welcome any team that wants to play against us.
"We voluntarily agreed to back out of the Twenty20 Worlds because we were told we won't get visas to England. We don't want to gate-crash where we are not welcome."
Withdraw
A statement from the ICC confirmed Zimbabwe's decision - and reiterated that the troubled African country will not suffer any financial penalties as a result.
"The Zimbabwe delegation to ICC Annual Conference week is aware of the decision of the British government not to allow its bilateral series in England in 2009 to go ahead," said a statement from the ICC.
"Zimbabwe Cricket has also taken note that the British government is likely to refuse to grant visas for the Zimbabwe cricket team to take part in the ICC World Twenty20 2009.
"Therefore, the Zimbabwe delegation has decided to recommend to its board that the team should withdraw from that event.
"The delegation has undertaken to report back on the decision of its board to the ICC within one month.
"The delegation will report to its board that it will not suffer financially as a result of its non-participation in the ICC World Twenty20 2009.
"The Zimbabwe delegation has agreed to take this decision in the greater interest of world cricket and the ICC.
"This recommendation should be viewed as a one-off and will not be taken as a precedent."
| Fixture |
|---|
| Friday 21st November |
| Test Match Series |
| Australia vs New Zealand |
| South Africa vs Bangladesh |
| Saturday 22nd November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka |
| Sunday 23rd November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| India vs England |
| Monday 24th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka |
| Wednesday 26th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| India vs England |
| Test Match Series |
| South Africa vs Bangladesh |
| Friday 28th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka |
| Test Match Series |
| Australia vs New Zealand |
| Saturday 29th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| India vs England |
| Result |
|---|
| Thursday 20th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| India vs England India won by 16 runs. |
| Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets. |
| Monday 17th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| India vs England India won by 54 runs. |
| Sunday 16th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| Pakistan vs West Indies Pakistan won by 31 runs. |
| Friday 14th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| India vs England India won by 158 runs. |
| Pakistan vs West Indies Pakistan won by 24 runs. |
| Wednesday 12th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| Pakistan vs West Indies Pakistan won by 4 wickets. |
| Tuesday 11th November |
| Tour Match |
| Mumbai President's XI vs England Mumbai President's XI won by 124 runs. |
| Sunday 9th November |
| 1 Day Intl Series |
| South Africa vs Bangladesh South Africa won by 128 runs. |
| Tour Match |
| Mumbai vs England England won by 122 runs. |
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Comments
Pogie Wemuchomuzhandu says...
Britain should push the ICC to propose that Mugabe steps down as the patron of the sport in the country so as to disassociate the game with the political leader. It's hypocrisy to punish the innocent cricketers by ruining their careers because of a president they would also want to see booted out. Cricketers are just as helpless as the murdered and tortured lot and the millions robbed of their democratic rights in the 2008 election, it's outrageous to inflict further harm.
Posted 16:56 4th July 2008
Angela Frost says...
A quote from Tarryn C says... "im glad zimbabwe hasnt been excluded from international cricket... it wouldnt have made any difference to mugabe and his thugs - he doesnt care about anyone or anything except himself. sport shouldnt be affected or suffer due to bad governments, in any country." I don't know how old you are but it seems people forget that South Africa was expelled from all sport for a long time because of their "bad/white" government. I didn't matter then about politics in sport, so why the hell should it now? Chuck Zimbabwe out of all international sport until Mugabe is gone. It might make the the supporters of sport get rid of him.
Posted 16:51 4th July 2008
Tarryn C says...
im glad zimbabwe hasnt been excluded from international cricket... it wouldnt have made any difference to mugabe and his thugs - he doesnt care about anyone or anything except himself. sport shouldnt be affected or suffer due to bad governments, in any country.
Posted 13:03 4th July 2008
Mark Mellor says...
Absolutely disgraceful. While I can understand that the ICC want to keep politics and cricket separate, this acts an an endorsement of the appalling situation in Zimbabwe. It's time the ICC stopped this pompous rubbish and made a clear stance that cricket will not associate itself with Zimbabwe under the Mugabe regime. What message does it send out to the world when the ICC can okay the playing of games while being are being tortured and murdered? They should hang their heads in shame.
Posted 11:48 4th July 2008
Grant Matte says...
Innocent people are being tortured and killed in Zimbabwe and some very wise men comes up with a solution of banning the cricket team out of the International sport ...wow
Posted 11:38 4th July 2008
Ali Zahid says...
I would totaly agree with the comments posted earlier... Politics and sports should be apart.. Imagine something happening like this with the one of the top cricket playing nations and this being the outcome... Its a shame...
Posted 11:32 4th July 2008
Ian Kellett says...
I fear there is no longer any sense left in the game of cricket. Zimbabwe should have been kicked out full stop, even their most ardent supporter South Africa think so. The countries of the sub-continent are assuming they have too much influence (even amending the result of the England/Pakistan test to a draw) I believe that England, if no other, should make a stand against tht obvious bias of the ICC...I say we leave.
Posted 11:27 4th July 2008
Cazanne Murara says...
i am on both side really i kind of wanted them to be suspended but i also did not want them to be suspend because they r just innocent players right. I think politics should stick to politics and sports will stick to sports that way no one has to suffer not playing the sport they practiced for, for no reason...
Posted 11:16 4th July 2008
Steve Brogan says...
Once again senior administrators fail to make a stand. It is a disgrace that these inept people make it to such influencial positions and then fail to lead byh example or take the moral high ground.
Posted 10:56 4th July 2008
Shahrukh Salman says...
Altough not a cricket fan but still i feel sorry for Zimbabwe. I sometimes fail to understand that what do those 18 players in the squad have to to do with Mugabe? Keep the Sport clean from dirty polotics. You are not helping them, you are ruining their future. I think, these 'so-called' inventors of game should see their own collar and history before putting sanctions on others.
Posted 10:32 4th July 2008
M Ali says...
cricket should be kept separte to politics...its a game...lets keep it that way....the re-election of mudgabe or whatever his name is has nothing to do with the cricket player or board of the country. its strange how england has said they will refuse visas to players....
Posted 10:12 4th July 2008
Ray Dean says...
How on earth can the ICC agree to keep Zimbabwe in the fold when such attrocities are being carried out in that country.Talk about political gutless bodies.Zimbabwe should be banned from all international sport until such time as Mugabe is thrown out of the country and peace is restored to the people of Zimbabwe.
Posted 10:08 4th July 2008
Chris Povall says...
All I can say is phew. I was starting to worry when it looked like the Windies were going to support Zimbabwe but I suppose this is the best of both worlds - we get our world cup and Zimbabwe keep playing international cricket.
Posted 09:21 4th July 2008
Jitu Vithlani says...
sad it has come to this . Then we say keep Politics out of Sport.But sport is not big enough to stand on its own feet , Governments always have and will play a BIG part in any sport
Posted 08:53 4th July 2008
Steve Jones says...
One word: Gutless.
Posted 08:23 4th July 2008
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