More Australian cricketers could yet back out of next month’s tour of Zimbabwe in the wake of Stuart MacGill’s decision to withdraw on moral grounds, fast bowler Glenn McGrath said on Thursday.
Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill on Wednesday said he had advised Australian selectors prior to the announcement of the Test and one-day squads that he did not believe he could tour Zimbabwe and maintain a clear conscience.
McGrath said he was looking forward to touring Zimbabwe after regaining his place in the Test team following almost a year out with an ankle injury, but he had no qualms with MacGill’s decision.
”I totally respect Stuart’s decision. It is a tough one, especially with the situation in Zimbabwe at the moment,” McGrath told Channel Nine on Wednesday.
”I have a slightly different point of view on it. I’ve got a lot of friends that live in Zimbabwe that I’ve spoken to and I base my decision more on the locals there and the fact that they’re looking forward so much to us touring there.
”And when we were there 12 months ago during the World Cup we saw the response we got plus the enjoyment the locals got when we were there and that’s what I’m basing my decision on.”
McGrath said he couldn’t speak on behalf of any of his teammates, but admitted he probably wouldn’t be ”totally surprised” if there were more pullouts before the tour of the troubled African nation from May 14 to June 14.
He said he would have more idea of how his teammates were feeling when they assembled in Brisbane just before departure.
”The guys will get together there and have a chat there and work out our problems there,” he said.
”I haven’t spoken to any of the boys so I don’t really know how they’re feeling.”
McGrath said modern-day athletes were inadvertently political activists.
”You always try to keep sport and politics separate and you wish they’d stay that way but it’s like a lot of tours [like] to Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the past,” he said.
”You say it’s not a political decision but, at the end of the day, if you do go, it’s a political decision one way or the other.
”So you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
McGrath said MacGill’s decision should not hinder his chances of playing Test cricket in the future, as Cricket Australia said on Wednesday. – Sapa-AFP