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What exactly is the point of banning the Zimbabwe cricket team from the UK?
The UK government is seeking to ban Zimbabwe from touring the country next year and I for one am mystified as to why. Please do not think that I am trying to be flippant or belittle the vile situation in the country, but how is stopping a cricket team touring going to help in any way?
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “International sports should never be a way for dictators to publicise their misrule. If the situation does not improve in Zimbabwe, we would not want to see the Zimbabwe team tour here in 2009, nor the England team tour there in 2012.”
As the former colonial power the UK is in a no-win situation here. Mugabe will seize any move and sell it to his population as post-colonial bully tactics from the former masters; moreover, the ban will not change a single thing in the country itself - which surely is the whole point of any action like this.
Also, everyone knows what Mugabe is doing in his country, I doubt that anyone watching the matches next summer are likely to think, "Well the cricketers looked happy, maybe old Robert is not as bad as they all say."
The Zimbabwe team is not in the best of states: many of the top players are retired in protest at Mugabe and what is left behind is a hotch-potch of young talent and journeymen; all this ban will do is stop some young cricketers gaining some experience.
March 4, 2008 in English cricket, ICC, rules, bodies etc | Permalink | 
Stumble It!
Comments
Banning Zimbabawe may have the same effect as isolating South Africa over apartheied.
In the short run people may suffer.
Posted by: Ottayan | 5 Mar 2008 06:36:25
1. Cricket is something that is close to Mugabe's heart.
2. Not allowing them to Tour gets (more) people questioning why that action is required and looking at the regime in place.
What's disappointing is that this isn't a unified stance by every nation in cricket so that Zimbabwe are unable to play anyone. Gradually the pressure will increase through things like this which, it has to be hoped, leads to Mugabe leaving office and Zimbabwe recovering.
Posted by: Cricket Burble | 5 Mar 2008 07:19:47
http://kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/?p=330
The hypocrisy in international cricket is mind boggling.
David Miliband, Britain’s Foreign Secretary has joined Flash Gordon in stating that Zimbabwe must not be allowed to tour England in the summer of 2009. Miliband is quoted as saying
“The situation in Zimbabwe is deeply concerning - I think bilateral cricket tours don’t send the right message about our concerns,” Miliband said. “This is something that needs to be discussed with the ECB and others.”
Now what if we substituted Zimbabwe for Pakistan in this argument?
As recently as July 2006 Pakistan was welcomed with open arms in the United Kingdom. Pakistan is variously described as repressive, violent and a dictatorship. The political opposition in Pakistan is either forced into exile, killed while campaigning, placed under house arrest or they have their rallies violently disrupted. If the England cricket team were scheduled to play in Pakistan it would be the fear of Monty and the gang getting in the way of a suicide bomber that would stop the tour. It wouldn’t be because England dislikes Mr Musharraf’s repressive regime.
Pakistan and Zimbabwe are probably as “bad” as each other. The difference is that Zimbabwe is a light weight in international cricket. Pakistan, on the other hand, with the backing of the Asian cricket heavy weights, would very quickly put England in its place if threatened with a boycott.
Personally I’ve been very supportive of a complete sporting and cultural boycott of Zimbabwe as a non-violent method of isolating the Mugabe regime and drawing attention to the abuse of human rights in this country. I’ve also participated in, and worked towards the boycott of cricket tours to Zimbabwe.
However I do think that its important to criticise Britain’s selective show of concern and their refusal to host the Zimbabwean cricket team.
Posted by: Bev Clark | 5 Mar 2008 10:06:55
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