Miliband sparks Zimbabwe tour doubt

12 April 2012

Zimbabwe's planned cricket tour of England next year would not send out "the right message", Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

Mr Miliband confirmed that ministers would be holding talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about the tour scheduled for summer 2009.

"The situation in Zimbabwe is obviously deeply concerning. I think that bilateral cricket tours at the moment don't send the right message about our concern," he told Channel 4 News.

"This is something that needs to be discussed with the ECB and others."

His comments come amid reports that Prime Minister Gordon Brown wants to ban the tour in protest at President Robert Mugabe's dictatorial policies and human rights abuses.

Mr Brown's spokesman insisted last week that no decisions had been taken.

However, Mr Miliband's comments strongly suggest that ministers would prefer that the tour does not go ahead.

Currently, the Zimbabweans are due to play two five-day and three one-day internationals.

The ECB would have to pay an estimated £225,000 in compensation under International Cricket Council rules if the one-day matches are cancelled.

There would be no penalty for scrapping the five-day games as Zimbabwe is no longer classed as a Test-playing nation.

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