New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said on Monday he was prepared to stop the Black Caps’ tour of Zimbabwe if necessary and was unsympathetic to calls for the tour to go ahead.
New Zealand are scheduled to play three one-day internationals in the strife-torn African nation in July under the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) future tours programme.
The only way they can call off the tour and avoid heavy ICC sanctions is if the prime minister intervenes.
Zimbabwe Sports Minister David Coltart has said the New Zealand Black Caps are obliged to tour and has appealed to Wellington to give his coalition government a chance.
But Key, who has previously stated his reluctance for the team to go, told Television New Zealand there were genuine security and health risks for the players.
Asked if he was prepared to step in Key said: ”Potentially, yes. There are some options that I am working through at the moment.”
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Justin Vaughan has said the final decision on the tour rested with politicians.
”It’s a political question and requires a political solution; it’s not a decision NZC should have to make,” he said.
”We are a group of cricket administrators. We might have strong feelings about the situation in Zimbabwe, but judging international politics is not what we’re about.”
New Zealand last toured Zimbabwe in 2005, for two Tests and a one-day tri-series including India, after then prime minister Helen Clark strongly urged NZC not to go but stopped short of ordering the team to stay home.
Under ICC rules, any team pulling out of an agreed tour can be fined $2-million, although the fine can be avoided if a government issues a directive not to tour. — Sapa-AFP