Test cricketer Vusi Sibanda has urged Cricket Australia (CA) to honour its commitment to Zimbabwe and play its scheduled three-match tour of the troubled Southern African nation in September.
The Australian government and Cricket Australia are set to meet on Thursday to discuss the limited-overs tour with Prime Minister John Howard, a strong critic of the regime of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.
Howard has said his government is prepared to pay fines of up to $1,6-million, which could be imposed by the International Cricket Council if Australia should decide not to go ahead with its tour.
Zimbabwean players say they can ill afford the Australians to withdraw from their tour, even though they appreciate the sensitive political situation CA is confronting.
Sydney-based Zimbabwean batsman Sibanda has implored Australia’s cricketers to tour in order to assist the development of the game in his homeland, plagued by a dysfunctional management structure and a mass exodus of top players.
”The players obviously have no control, so it would be pretty sad if the Australians didn’t come,” Sibanda told the Sydney Morning Herald.
”I certainly hope that they do play. We need to challenge ourselves against the best in the world if we are to improve, and the Australians are the best there is.”
Although 23 and with only three Tests under his belt, Sibanda is seen as one of Zimbabwe’s senior players, following the exodus of established stars Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu, Henry Olonga and the Flower brothers in recent years.
Due to those losses and the reluctance of cricket’s superpowers to schedule fixtures against Zimbabwe, Sibanda has moved to Sydney in a bid to improve his game, by playing in a Sydney club competition last season.
”But I am not sure what the future holds,” he said.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is scheduled to meet senior CA officials on Thursday to discuss whether the country has a moral obligation to thwart Mugabe.
”Normally, I’m not a great fan of bringing politics into sport,” Downer said this week.
”But in this particular case I think it is appropriate we should take a very [tough] stand against Mugabe’s regime and do our best to stop the cricketers.” — Sapa-AFP