A violent crackdown on political dissent in Zimbabwe could lead Australian cricketers to scrap a planned tour of the Southern African nation later this year, the government said on Monday.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he was deeply disturbed by events in Zimbabwe and would raise the issue with Cricket Australia after the World Cup, which is under way in the Caribbean.
”I’ve not been a great fan of cricket tours to Zimbabwe,” Downer told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
He noted that the final decision on the September tour rested with national and international cricket authorities and involved contractual issues.
”But once the World Cup is over, we’ll talk to the Australian Cricket Board about this.”
The regime of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has drawn international criticism over its brutal crushing of dissent this month, including the shooting of an activist and the beating of several opposition leaders.
Cricket Australia said it had not yet considered cancelling the tour, which involves three one-day internationals.
”We’re just not thinking about it, it’s not on our current agenda and not on our radar as such,” said spokesperson Peter Young, noting that the focus was on the World Cup.
Young said the reports of violence in Zimbabwe were ”appalling”, but he could not say whether the tour would go ahead if the violence continued.
”Who knows what will happen between now and then?”
An Australian delegation would be sent to Zimbabwe before the tour to check on the security arrangements for the players and team officials, but it would not leave until close to the tour date.
Australia are obliged under International Cricket Council regulations to tour every member nation in a five-year span or incur a massive fine from the sport’s governing body.
Some opposition parties in Australia have suggested the government should undertake to pay the fine if Cricket Australia cancels the tour.
Prime Minister John Howard said in a radio address on Monday that Australia would work with other countries ”to place greater pressure on the Zimbabwean leadership” but did not mention the cricket tour.
He said one of the major reasons why Mugabe remained in power and presided over the destruction of his country was that neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa, had failed to exert sufficient pressure.
”The reality is that only the leaders of these African countries enjoy the historic leverage to sway Mugabe. Nothing short of his peaceful departure from office can offer hope to this tragic country,” the prime minister said.
”The world community led by the governments in Southern Africa should set about achieving this objective.” – AFP
