Pakistan on standby as summer of disruption threatens
**ENGLAND have already lined up another team — probably Pakistan — to replace Zimbabwe if next summer’s international cricket programme is disrupted by the continuing row over the World Cup. **
Yesterday, Mike O’Brien, a Foreign Office Minister, escalated the dispute with the ECB by suggesting that not only should England not play Zimbabwe in Harare next month, but also that Zimbabwe should not visit England in the summer when they are scheduled to play Test matches at Lord’s and Durham and a triangular one-day series with the hosts and South Africa.
ECB officials will meet ministers next week to try to resolve the World Cup dispute and will spell out the financial implications of not playing in Zimbabwe, which they say could cost English cricket up to £10 million if this summer’s tour is cancelled as well.
These losses would be greatly reduced, however, if another team took Zimbabwe’s place. John Read, the ECB director of corporate affairs, said last night that nothing had been agreed, but Pakistan will be in England around the same time for a three-match international series.
And Bill Midgley, the Durham chairman, who is preparing the Riverside county ground to host what would be its first Test match, said there was already a contingency plan in place. “I cannot say who that might be because at the moment we have to assume that Zimbabwe are coming and it would be wrong to start naming the replacement side,” he said.
“It is something that the ECB began working on early last summer because they envisaged that there might be problems, not necessarily with the World Cup but the whole political situation in Zimbabwe.”
**Whether Pakistan would be prepared to take over in such circumstances remains to be seen but they are in financial difficulty themselves because of other teams refusing to tour their country for safety reasons.
England will have difficulties themselves, if Zimbabwe do not come and no one replaces them. They are already facing an ICC compensation claim of up to £1 million if they fail to play in Harare and there could be compensation to Zimbabwe on top of that. **
O’Brien said yesterday that the Government would not compensate the authorities but speaking in Sydney, Tim Lamb, the chief executive of the ECB, said: “If the ECB finds itself in danger of suffering severe financial losses as a result of breaking its contract (with the ICC), or if there is a threat to our international programme next summer, we want to make sure we will be fully indemnified for going along with the Government’s wishes.
“Clearly, it is difficult for the ECB to go against the express wishes of Government. We receive funds via the lottery and the Exchequer. We do not want a fight with the Government. We need to sit round a table and share our concerns about why cricket is being singled out the way it is.”
The cost to the ECB of losing two Tests and the wrecking of the triangular series has not been calculated but there would be loss of income from npower, the Test sponsors, plus possible compensation, the return of money already paid by Sky, Channel 4 and overseas television companies and the absence of any revenue through gates and corporate sponsorship.
“We want to resolve this as expeditiously as possible, but we will give them (the Government) no commitment,” Read said. “If Zimbabwe didn’t tour, that would be two Tests we would be short of and we would be in breach of contract with Channel 4 and Sky. That’s ten days of cricket, ten days of television, ten days of sponsorship and ten days of merchandise. It’s a very significant problem.”
The television contract with Sky and Channel 4 is worth £147 million over three years, £49 million per year, from 2003 to 2005 and starting today.
“The vast majority of the value of the TV contract resides with covering England’s international cricket,” Read said. “Obviously, we want to play seven Test matches this summer. The Test match in Durham against Zimbabwe is probably the biggest international sporting event in the North East ever.”
Any shortfall in income would hit all the 18 first-class counties, who are expecting to receive £1.35 million each from next year’s budget but none more so than Durham, who are looking forward to unveiling England’s first new Test ground for more than 100 years on June 5.
“It is not only good for cricket in the North East but good for the profile of the region in terms of image and the regeneration of the area,” Midgley said. “It would be an enormous blow if it did not go ahead but for the fact that there is a contingency plan for another country to take over if Zimbabwe do not come.
“I think there might be a concern about some people in the North East about Zimbabwe coming here because they represent a regime that they don’t agree with.
“The other side of the coin is the impact on Zimbabwe cricket if they don’t come. Their finances are not very strong and coming to England would be very important for their game. If it is allowed to disintegrate, it might not bounce back.”