Cabinet row as Zimbabwe cricket chief gets UK visa

A decision to ban one of Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe's henchmen from visiting Britain has been overturned after a Cabinet row.

Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Tessa Jowell clashed with Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett after the Foreign Office barred Zimbabwean cricket chief Peter Chingoka from the UK for this week's meeting of the sport's ruling body.

The ban on Mr Chingoka, at the centre of fraud claims that have forced the African country to withdraw from Test cricket, was overruled after Sports Minister Dick Caborn argued that visa restrictions on Mugabe's political supporters should not apply to sports officials. But the move has prompted claims that the Government has given in to political blackmail by Zimbabwe amid a cricket power struggle.

Labour MP Kate Hoey, a former Sports Minister, last night condemned the U-turn, saying: "Zimbabwe's cricket officials are at the heart of the dictatorship's web of corruption and political oppression.

"This sort of unprincipled manoeuvring looks very bad when we are asking other countries to stand firm in isolating those at the heart of Mugabe's regime."

Mr Chingoka is to attend a vital meeting of the International Cricket Council at Lords where a new ICC president will be chosen. The council is split between David Morgan, current chairman of the England And Wales Cricket Board, and Sharad Pawar, his Indian counterpart.

However, ICC sources say South Africa, whose government has refused to disown Mugabe, had vowed to back India's candidate if Britain banned Mr Chingoka.

South Africa and Zimbabwe cast a single vote in the election for president. They initially backed Mr Morgan but changed sides recently, prompting reports they had switched after India hinted it might be ready to accept Zimbabwe back into Test cricket.

Zimbabwe has not fielded a Test side since 2005, partly as a result of a players' revolt. There were widespread claims of corruption, including allegations that Mr Chingoka had siphoned off £10million of funds to finance his lavish lifestyle, while the players went unpaid.

Mr Chingoka has been told he can enter Britain for the ICC meeting but must leave by Saturday.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on individual visa applications."

Mr Caborn was unavailable for comment.