A last-minute compromise has seen Zimbabwe agree to pull out of next year's World Twenty20 Championship in England.
Troubled Africans to miss Twenty20 Championship
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."
