England’s cricketers will today express grave reservations about travelling to Zimbabwe for the World Cup next month as the England and Wales Cricket Board steps up efforts to persuade tournament organisers to shift the match to South Africa.
The players’ statement, to be issued through the Professional Cricketers’ Association, will outline their concerns about the morality and safety of playing in Harare on February 13, although they are not expected to threaten a boycott.
The statement is intended to clarify the players’ position after comments from David Morgan, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, suggesting the squad was ready to pull out.
”Nasser [England captain Nasser Hussain] advised me that players who were ready to go a week ago were less ready now,” Morgan said. ”They were receiving threats about the possibility of disturbances and riots during and in the lead up to our match.
”Clearly the players are very concerned about the plight of the people in Zimbabwe and their own image in going there to play a cricket match while the lives of Zimbabweans are at an all-time low level.”
Yesterday it emerged that ECB chief executive, Tim Lamb, has been lobbying the South African cricket board to try and achieve a face-saving compromise amid concerns that the controversy will overshadow cricket’s showpiece event.
This represents a change of attitude. Morgan did not attempt a compromise during a meeting of the International Cricket Council last Friday, and the ECB has previously said it would honour its commitment to Zimbabwe’s cricket community.
An ECB representative said: ”There is an awful lot going on behind the scenes and Tim Lamb is pushing very hard to make sure that other ICC members, and in particular South Africa, understand the gravity of the situation.
”Clearly the best solution would be to move all the games to South Africa, and that is what we are pushing for. There is still time. The game can be moved at a few days notice.”
The representative denied there was any split within the management of the ECB or between the board and the players, following an extraordinary attack on Morgan by Richard Bevan, managing director of the PCA.
Bevan accused the chairman of ”ambushing” the players, undermining the ECB and failing to properly represent the players’ misgivings during the ICC meeting last week.
”To be frank, we’re totally surprised at David Morgan’s comments,” he said.
”Maybe we expected to get ambushed by the media at some time, but not by the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
”Just before he [Morgan] was going into an ICC meeting on the telephone, Nasser went to meet with him and explain the players’ thoughts and that they had reservations… but that’s not to say they weren’t going to commit to the England and Wales Cricket Board and actually go.
”For him to then come out and make those comments without checking back with the ECB undermines the board.” Bevan’s comments, made after consultation with the England captain, indicate the frustration of a squad that feels it has been left to carry the responsibility for decisions made by its employers.
The players feel under pressure from public opinion in the UK and have been warned that they will be the target of protesters in Harare. – Guardian Unlimited