/ 13 May 2007

Australia seeks neutral venue after Zim ban

Cricket Australia wants to play Zimbabwe at a neutral venue after the government on Sunday barred the team from three one-day international games in the troubled African nation.

Prime Minister John Howard announced the ban on the September tour, saying it would be an ”enormous propaganda boost” for the regime of Robert Mugabe, whom he called a ”grubby dictator”.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said Australia wanted to help develop Zimbabwe’s cricketers and was seeking a neutral venue to stage the matches.

Sutherland identified the likely venue as South Africa, where a 20-20 World Cup series will be held later in the year.

”We are obliged to do what we can to help Zimbabwe cricketers and we could help them by playing somewhere else,” Sutherland told reporters.

”We are discussing with the government where we could play Zimbabwe at a neutral venue.”

But Howard said he feared the neutral option could expose Zimbabwean cricketers to persecution in their home country, as they could be seen to be supporting enemies of Mugabe.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer expressed reservations about playing against Zimbabwe at all, even on neutral territory.

”I think it’s best not to play against Zimbabwe for the time being if that can be avoided,” Downer said.

”I don’t think [a neutral clash] is very likely to happen as I doubt very much the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, or for that matter the Zimbabwe government, which no doubt runs the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, would allow Zimbabwe to be humiliated to the extent they accept that the international community refuses to come to their

country.”

Sutherland said the government’s decision gave Australian cricket some certainty about the series amid mounting debate in the country over whether to play in Zimbabwe.

”The issue around foreign policy should rest in the hands of the government — we are a cricketing organisation which has expertise in managing cricket matches,” Sutherland said.

He said it was his understanding that under International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations, CA was not liable for a $2-million compensation payment to Zimbabwe if a tour was ruled ”illegal” or they were unable to tour.

Howard said his government would reimburse CA for any amount it may be forced to pay under the terms of its agreement with Zimbabwe Cricket for not proceeding with the tour. – Sapa-AFP