What is it with these English cry babies who until a month ago refused to tour Zimbabwe for political reasons and now all at a sudden ECB officials are flying in & out of Zimbabwe to make sure the tour goes on ? I wonder if the Mugabe ovt has been removed or the Zim govt is not violating Human rights any more ?? I just dont get it, I mean one month ago England risked its world cup participation, lost its super six place because of its stand and all at a sudden they want Zimbabwe tour to go on ??
David Morgan, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, has flown to Harare in an attempt to resurrect Zimbabwe’s tour of England this summer.
Zimbabwe are due to play in two Tests and a triangular one-day series with South Africa from May to July, although the tour has been in doubt since England withdrew from their World Cup fixture in Harare on February, because of security fears.
The ECB have already finalised the television rights and sponsorship deals for the tour, and if Zimbabwe retaliate by pulling out, the cancellation could cost up to £10m.
The chairman of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, Peter Chingoka, acknowledged a commitment to tour has already been made, but warned that the final decision could rest on the meeting with Morgan. "We had already committed ourselves that we would undertake the tour mid-last year,” he said, “and the ECB had already sold television and other rights basing it on our written commitment.
"Saturday’s meeting is routine. But the issue of our tour of England is an emergency item on the agenda, and we have accommodated Morgan’s address. He is expected to address the board on England’s non-appearance in Harare for a World Cup match last month and the financial repercussions for their non-appearance.
“Morgan will also address the conditions and safeguards of our tour to England at the end of April. The ZCU board will be looking at the advantages, disadvantages and consequences of not honouring that tour.”
Following that boycott of the Zimbabwe match, the International Cricket Council have already withheld approximately £1m in World Cup payments from the ECB, while the ICC itself could be sued for breach of contract by tournament sponsors and broadcasters. Tim Lamb, the ECB chief executive, made it clear that English cricket would resist any attempt to foot the bill.
Nevertheless, the ECB are already tightening their purse-strings in anticipation of a compensation claim. A report in Thursday’s Guardian newspaper suggests that England will be limited to just five new central contracts this summer, instead of the proposed 11.
Steve Harmison and James Anderson are likely to receive contracts, as is the Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell. But in the current climate ECB chiefs are reluctant to offer contracts to a wider pool of players “for the sake of it”.
