Government stops Zimbabwe tour

[LA ICE-E]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/293985.html

I think that the government did the right thing as in not putting the weight of pressure on the board and players. But still it would be a good thing is government didn't intervene.

 

[Perm]

Was always likely to happen.

 

[age_master]

Good call for mine.

 

[howardj]

Good stuff.

 

[howardj]

Zimbo Hits Back!

 

[_Ed_]

Good call for mine.

Ditto.

 

[_Ed_]

Zimbo Hits Back!

That's ridiculous.

 

[Pratters]

I loved the ICC response I read on cricinfo earlier.

"The ICC is a sporting organisation and our role is to ensure that the game of cricket is played wherever possible."

Yeah, our only concern is that cricket is played every where. We don't care if players are leaving due to government policies and it is a third XI or some thing being fielded or if people are dying left and right in country x.

 

[silentstriker]

"But still we will not lose anything because cricket is not a major sport here.”


...

Well, they don't really even care about the cricket. What's the point of keeping them on?

 

[silentstriker]

I loved the ICC response I read on cricinfo earlier.

"The ICC is a sporting organisation and our role is to ensure that the game of cricket is played wherever possible."

Yeah, our only concern is that cricket is played every where. We don't care if players are leaving due to government policies and it is a third XI or some thing being fielded or if people are dying left and right in country x.

Well, I can kind of understand people not getting involved with politics. Look at the Olympic committee, they let China play (and even host!) and let the Soviet Union compete for decades too. I see the necessity of a sporting organization needing to be apolitical, but if the country simply does not care about the sport, I don't see the point.

 

[Athlai]

Frankly I'm quite surprised some stupid comment didn't come out, like if Australia play in Zimbabwe "the terrorists win". Though I must admit, a very similar statement seems to be going around.

"it would be accepting Mugabe"

I think the end result is what should have happened but frankly a lot of political fuss came into it and not just out of Zimbabwe.

 

[Pratters]

Well, I can kind of understand people not getting involved with politics. Look at the Olympic committee, they let China play (and even host!) and let the Soviet Union compete for decades too. I see the necessity of a sporting organization needing to be apolitical, but if the country simply does not care about the sport, I don't see the point.

For a situation like Zimbabwe - there is the political and the cricketing reason as I mentioned earlier. The politics aspect is a complicated and contensious issue but at least the cricketing part has been crystal clear from the days of Olonga and Flower's brave protests.

 

[Poker Boy]

AT LAST! A Government with a but of guts and backbone! (Unlike our pathetic (and soon to be ex thank god) PM Blair who like Howard didn't want our cricketers to go there, but unlike Howard, said he couldn't order them not to) - this from the guy that's banned fox hunting and is going to ban people from smoking in pubs. It seems like the Aussies have a far better PM as well as a far better cricket team than us - if they ever vote him out could they send him here?

 

[Richard]

For a situation like Zimbabwe - there is the political and the cricketing reason as I mentioned earlier. The politics aspect is a complicated and contensious issue but at least the cricketing part has been crystal clear from the days of Olonga and Flower's brave protests.

Heh, started to become clear 3 years before that. The Flower-Olonga incident was just the crossing of the final frontier.

 

[Richard]

Zimbo Hits Back!

Hahaha, always amusing to hear the things that party comes-out with.

 

[Richard]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/293985.html

I think that the government did the right thing as in not putting the weight of pressure on the board and players. But still it would be a good thing is government didn't intervene.

It wouldn't be a good thing at all, because without that intervention CA would have been punished severely, or would have had to make a decision that outraged the righteous holier-than-thou types in the country.

 

[Pratters]

Haha, started to become clear 3 years before that. The Flower-Olonga incident was just the crossing of the final frontier.

I said days which means I was not being specific. Also not sure what's funny.

 

[Matt79]

Lol at the Mugabe junior minister. He should get a cell with the former Iraqi minister for Information come the revolution.

Good call by the government - you can't come out and put the kind of pressure they had placed on CA and then say "but its up to you". If they want to make a point, they've done the right thing by putting their money where their mouth is.

I'd feel bad for the impact on Zimbabwean cricket, if said entity wasn't already dying under the impact of factors way worse than an Australian boycott (ie their own board and government). Australia touring wouldn't fix those problems, so I think we're within our rights to do what we feel is right.

And the other factor is that with the schedule we have ahead of us in the 18 months from late 2007, we need a tour to Zimbabwe for a series of meaningless games against a district-level quality team like a hole in the head. No doubt the players are immensely relieved that the issue has been taken out of their hands.

 

[Richard]

I said days which means I was not being specific. Also not sure what's funny.

True about the haha, edited.

The days of Flower and Olonga seemed to me to suggest their actual acts in the WC. What I meant was that the exile had started 3 years before with Johnson and Goodwin.

 

[LA ICE-E]

Zimbo Hits Back!

"But still we will not lose anything because cricket is not a major sport here.”
Cricket isn't a major sport in Zimbabwe? Why are they a test nation if not?