Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

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Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

Government says it will pay any fine

Players can decide whether to tour Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff

May 4, 2007

Ricky Ponting says Australia's players will be able to make up their own minds on whether to tour Zimbabwe in September and the Australian government will pay any fine incurred if the tour is called off. Cricket Australia will investigate the security issues before the trip for three one-day games, but the only way it can avoid a $2m ICC punishment for not going is if it is not safe.

The prime minister John Howard, a strong critic of the regime of the Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe, said it would be unfair for Cricket Australia to have to pay the fine. "I will be having, and Alexander Downer [the foreign minister] will be having, further discussions with Cricket Australia because the situation in Zimbabwe has deteriorated very badly," Howard told Australian radio. "In the end, foreign policy decisions have got to be taken by governments and the situation in Zimbabwe is quite unacceptable.

"We would indemnify Cricket Australia for any compensation it might have to pay to the international body. It would not be fair to visit the cost of a foreign policy decision on a sporting body."

Howard said players should be consulted on the issue, but the government would make the final decision on whether the tour should proceed. Ponting had breakfast with Howard at the SCG on Thursday as part of the World Cup-winning squad's welcome home celebrations.

"There are some issues there and every individual player will be asked what their own views on that are, and they'll have a chance to make up their own mind what they want to do," Ponting told The Australian. "I'm sure every individual player will be asking themselves 'should I or shouldn't I be touring Zimbabwe?'"

Adam Gilchrist also said in the paper "there should always be questions asked". Stuart MacGill pulled out of the tour in 2004 on moral grounds.

Pius Ncube, the Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, who is currently in Australia, called for the series to be cancelled. "My encouragement would be let's boycott and not go there," he said in the Sydney Morning Herald. "In this way we can embarrass and put pressure on this immoral government of Mugabe and his cronies."

© Cricinfo
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Do you think they will go?
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

no they wont go i wouldnt go thats for sure
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

More news on this -

Government to meet with Cricket Australia this week

Tour would be 'propaganda coup' for Mugabe - Downer

Cricinfo staff

May 7, 2007

Alexander Downer, Australia's foreign minister, said a visit to Zimbabwe by Australia's cricketers would be "a propaganda victory" for Robert Mugabe. Downer said he would meet with Cricket Australia this week to discuss the tour, scheduled for September, but he believed the players should take a stand against Mugabe's regime by boycotting the trip.

"We can't ... formally ban them but I'll be meeting with ... Cricket Australia ... during the course of this week and we'll be having a series of discussions about how to manage this," Downer said on the Perth radio station 6PR. "Normally I'm not a great fan of bringing politics into sport but in this particular case I think it is appropriate we should ... take a very [tough] stand against Mugabe's regime and do our best to stop the cricketers."

The government has already said it will pay any fine imposed by the ICC on CA if it cancels the tour, a stance reiterated by Downer. "But we haven't reached that point yet and I need to talk through all the details of their contracts with them," he said.

"My view is that the tour shouldn't go ahead and if it were to go ahead then Australia - which is after all the world championship team - would give Zimbabwe's regime and its president, who has been the patron of Zimbabwe Cricket Association, a propaganda victory, a propaganda coup.

"This is a horrific regime in Zimbabwe and we should take a stand against it, and included amongst those who should take a stand are our cricketers." Ricky Ponting said last week each Australian player would be asked his opinion on whether the tour should go ahead.

© Cricinfo
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Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

More news...

Board stresses commitment to global development

Australia send security delegation to Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff

May 10, 2007

Cricket Australia (CA) has indicated that it will only pull out of September's tour of Zimbabwe on safety grounds. The announcement came after it met with Alexander Downer, the foreign minister, and representatives from the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA).


"After tonight's meeting, we understand very clearly the Government's concerns and preference for us not to tour Zimbabwe," said James Sutherland, the board's CEO. "In conjunction with the ACA, we will continue to work through these issues in the coming weeks and fully brief the players and CA's board of directors so they are as informed as possible before a decision is finalised.

"CA is also conscious of world cricket's requirements that each country visit all other nations regularly as part of the ICC's Future Tours Program. Cricket Australia is strongly committed to the global development of cricket. As with all planned international tours, a joint Cricket Australia-Australia Cricketers' Association security delegation would travel to Zimbabwe to assess the safety issues closer to the date of the planned tour."

Paul Marsh, the chief executive of the ACA, said the meeting had enabled discussions to take place on what was a very complex issue. He added that the ACA would continue to "work with Cricket Australia, the Australian Government and international cricket authorities in the hope of reaching an acceptable outcome".

The statement increases the likelihood of the three ODIs in Harare taking place and also puts the spotlight back on the Australian players. Assuming that fact-finding visits to Zimbabwe do not raise major safety concerns, it will be down to individuals to decide whether they are willing to take part.

"There are some issues there and every individual player will be asked what their own views on that are, and they'll have a chance to make up their own mind what they want to do," Ricky Ponting told The Australian earlier this week. "I'm sure every individual player will be asking themselves 'should I or shouldn't I be touring Zimbabwe?'"

© Cricinfo
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Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

i wonder, are there betting odds for australia not to go? i'd say its easy money if thats the case.
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

The one good thing about the current Australian government is that if nothing else, it looks out for our cricketers :p
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

I know. Stuff Global Warning. Who cares that we won't have a world to live in a couple of hundred years !! WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE CRICKETERS !
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

Government stops Zimbabwe tour
The Australian government has ordered the country's cricket team not to tour Zimbabwe in September. John Howard, the prime minister, said it was not fair to leave the decision up to Cricket Australia and the players.

However, James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, has foreshadowed the possibility of relocating the three-ODI series to a neutral venue, possibly South Africa. Howard said he had received legal advice that the government had the power to cancel the trip to Zimbabwe.
__________________

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/293985.html
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

Younginator;159330 said:
I know. Stuff Global Warning. Who cares that we won't have a world to live in a couple of hundred years !! WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE CRICKETERS !
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It's not about the cricketers.

We can't send our cricket team to a country in turmoil and just act like nothing is wrong. No doubt Mugabe would see Australia touring as a propaganda win. We didn't go to South Africa during aparthied nor should we go to Zimbabwe now.

No normal cricket in an abnormal country.
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

I hope they don't go.

Zimbabwe as a country and as a cricketing nation are a joke. If we do tour Zimbabwe, it would send the wrong message. It would only enhance Robert Mugabe's regime over there as the series would reap in dollars for Mugabe to continue his reign over the country.

Zimbabwe is in a crisis and the country is getting worse with each day that passes. Poverty is rife and many citizens are too poor to afford the basic commodities in order to live. Sending a team to tour there would be very inappropriate.

In fact, news just in, the tour has been cancelled.

Players happy that tour has been cancelled

It seems that the government's stance yesterday which forbid the players to tour the country will stand meaning that the tour in September will not happen.

At the current time, the games may be played at a neutral venue but the Australian Government believe that this scenario is unlikely to occur.

South Africa offers to host matches
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

Metallica_ACDC;159610 said:
now the Zimbabweans are saying the decision is racist :rolleyes:
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Typical. It has nothing to do with the colour of their skin. It's because their country is a rabble!!!

Here's the article,

Zimbabwe accuses Australia of being racist

And get this, a small excerpt from the article,

cricinfo article said:
"This is also a racist ploy to kill our local cricket since our cricket team is now dominated by black players as we slowly transform cricket from being an elite sport. But still we will not lose anything because cricket is not a major sport here."
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Oops! Looks like their in a tongue twist.
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

If Zimbo tour is off Bandis should arrange a series with the Yank baseballers.
Couldn't fit anything into the pro schedule but might be able to arrange some
matches with top college players. Be a hell of a lot more interesting than
playing before empty grounds in Zimboland.
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

They aren't going to tour Zimbabwe and nobody should tour Zimbabwe let alone travel there. It is way too dangerous for anyone to go and live in their country under crap racist rules from a dictator who doesn't like white people.
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe have again attacked the Australian government over their latest actions by accusing them of trying to oust the Mugabe government from office.

Zimbabwe Cricket have also stated that the matches won't be played at a neutral venue insisting that all home matches including Zimbabwe will be played within the country.

It is now definite that the series will not go ahead. This means that Australia's next international hitout will be the Twenty20 World Cup.

Zimbabwe rule out neutral venue

Personally, I am glad this has happened. I don't think it would be proper if Australia toured Zimbabwe in the state they are in. The country is in complete turmoil and I don't think playing cricket should be the number one priority over there at all.

Zimbabwe are playing the racist card because they don't have anything else. The whole world knows that the people in charge are a joke and they're using this as an attempt to deflect attention away from the corrupt government. They even went went as far as saying that "changes of government are done through democratic elections".

What a load of crap.
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

Ljp86;159771 said:
Zimbabwe have again attacked the Australian government over their latest actions by accusing them of trying to oust the Mugabe government from office.

Zimbabwe Cricket have also stated that the matches won't be played at a neutral venue insisting that all home matches including Zimbabwe will be played within the country.

It is now definite that the series will not go ahead. This means that Australia's next international hitout will be the Twenty20 World Cup.

Zimbabwe rule out neutral venue

Personally, I am glad this has happened. I don't think it would be proper if Australia toured Zimbabwe in the state they are in. The country is in complete turmoil and I don't think playing cricket should be the number one priority over there at all.

Zimbabwe are playing the racist card because they don't have anything else. The whole world knows that the people in charge are a joke and they're using this as an attempt to deflect attention away from the corrupt government. They even went went as far as saying that "changes of government are done through democratic elections".

What a load of crap.
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The Zimbabwe Government have made sure that everyone in their country aren't allowed to control their own lives. You can clearly see that with any footage over there.
It is totally disgusting. I reckon if Hitler was still alive, even he would be shocked over this. If anything there should be a war just to prove the point that this shouldn't be allowed.
 
Re: Australia may not tour Zimbabwe

pidgeon fan;159891 said:
The Zimbabwe Government have made sure that everyone in their country aren't allowed to control their own lives. You can clearly see that with any footage over there.
It is totally disgusting. I reckon if Hitler was still alive, even he would be shocked over this. If anything there should be a war just to prove the point that this shouldn't be allowed.
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Can't some guy just go assasinate that Mugabe bloke....
 
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