A clear directive from New Zealand’s government could halt its national team’s cricket tour to Zimbabwe next month without financial penalty, International Cricket Council (ICC) president Eshan Mani has said.
In a letter to New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Phil Goff, Mani said the ICC recognises the right of governments to use sporting sanctions as a tool of foreign policy. He rejected Goff’s call on the ICC to relieve New Zealand of their obligation to tour, saying political decisions should be made by governments, not the ICC.
Mani’s message was seen on Wednesday as offering the New Zealand government a means to stop the tour without resorting to legislation. It also appears to relieve New Zealand Cricket (NZC) of the threat of stiff financial penalties if the August and September tour does not proceed.
Green Party lawmakers, who have led opposition to the tour, said Mani’s comments have given the government a ”get-out-of-Zimbabwe-free card”. Party co-leader Rod Donald called on Prime Minister Helen Clark to act immediately.
”It’s time for the prime minister to play her hand,” Donald said. ”Once NZC is released from its ICC obligations by the imposition of a sporting sanction on Zimbabwe, the government can focus all its attention on helping to release Zimbabwe from [President Robert] Mugabe’s vice-like grip.”
The government has said it cannot order its cricketers to remain at home and has rejected the possibility of using legislation to ensure the tour does not proceed.
Responding to Goff’s calls for an ICC stand against Zimbabwe, Mani said cricket’s governing body has given repeated consideration to the problems of the troubled Southern African nation but cannot make political decisions.
”In short, the board recognises that issues of the relationships between countries are driven by politicians and governments that are elected by the people to deal with these political issues,” Mani said.
”It is also recognised that governments will, from time to time, elect to use sporting sanctions as a tool in their foreign-policy programmes.
”Our members accept and respect that where this clear directive is given by a national government, the obligations of the future tours programme will not apply.”
NZC has said it has no choice under its contractual relationship with the ICC but to proceed with tours in line with the future tours programme. Any failure to do so would incur fines of up to $2-million and other financial liabilities.
A spokesperson for Goff said the government will be seeking urgent clarification from the ICC of what it would consider a ”clear directive” to be.
”We will be asking the ICC whether a clear motion by [the New Zealand] Parliament telling NZC not to proceed with a tour will be enough” for the cricket body to avoid financial penalties under ICC rules, said spokesperson James Funnell.
A TV3 Internet poll on Tuesday showed 86% of respondents were opposed to the cricket team touring Zimbabwe next month. No margin of error was given for the survey. — Sapa-AP