Zim: should they be in England?

[Kimbo]

I think not.

I have just had a discussion with Reuben who thinks politics and sport shouldn't mix, and can't understand why Olonga and Flower did what they did since they were going so well and probably earning good money.

I disagree in every way possible with Reuben's view. what about you?

Should Zimbabwe be in England?

 

[lord_of_darkness]

ill post my view after everyone has their view..

good for bringing it up , good thing to keep forumg going

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

ill post my view after everyone has their view..

With such characters as Rik, Marc, LE and myself, that may be a while....

 

[PY]

There's only one answer to that and it is a resounding NO. :!( The argument that sport and politics do not mix is crap because they do and forvever will do. Especially with Robert Mugabe being the patron of the Zimbabwean Cricket Board. I'm English and I would love to see more Test cricket played in England but at the cost of morality, methinks not.....

 

[Kimbo]

I really love cricket, but morality will always come first. Which for me involves a lot of things- if my team was sponsored by McDonalds or any of those chains I wouldn't play, or Nike etc.

So it's straight forward in my head... NO.

and I understand the argument that it's not fair on the players, but you just can't condone a regime such as mugabe's. and to invite representatives of that country into your country is to condone that regime.

especially when Mugabe is a patron of the Zim Cricket Board

 

[Rik]

To me it's a NO, they are increadibly inexperianced and whatever Streak says sport and politics are mixing with Mugabe as patron of the ZCU. The ZCU hounded Olonga, that's politics, it seems like one is allowed and the other isn't.

 

[Simon]

sport and politics should mix at all, but its a shame they do, and in the end of the day if one person or maybe 2 (olonga and flower) have to sacrifce themselves so that everyone else is better off then so be it.
At the moment, they should just get on with playing cricket and sort off field issues out over time. things like this cant just be resolved with the click of a light switch.
Life is a lot like movies in a way, good always comes out on top in one way or another, if not man kind would have dies out a long long time ago.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I'm with Kim, Rik and PY word for word on this.

 

[V Reddy]

If Zim is to be banned then it should be banned from all sports. I read some days back of a Zim minister ( can't remember his name ) and he said that England allowed Zim to play in Commonwealth Games when it was staged in England but when Africa hosted the Cricket WC , England tried to ruin it by boycotting Zim. I agree with him though. Protests were held at that time too but Zimbabwe were allowed . If England thinks it should not play with Zim then it should not play in any sport not just in cricket. The same is the case with India-Pakistan cricket. India gov. should not allow India play with Pak in all sports but they only restrict it to cricket and allows other sports saying that Cricket is like a religion. But it gives a picture that India is afraid of losing. Sorry to bring this in but both have the same things though.

 

[Langeveldt]

I think sport and politics should mix, as all players concerned are basically ambassadors for their country, and the government has a right to say what goes on under that countries name...

However I think Zimbabwe should tour England... It wont do them any good sitting at home, and do you think Mugabe really cares if the tour gets cancelled? Their players deserve their chance, and the money.... Mugabe doesnt give a damn about anything though, he has done his job...

Zimbabwes plight does not need to be highlighted by cancelling the tour, the world knows full well about what is happening in Zimbabwe, just nobody seems to care....

 

[Kimbo]

stopping the tour would be showing that england does care about whats going on in zimbabwe.

 

[Langeveldt]

Turning a blind eye like we are doing at the moment shows that England does not care about Zimbabwe

 

[V Reddy]

But why only cricket though when other sports and even some businesses are continued. And Cricket is not even the primary sport in England.

 

[aussie_beater]

I think in matters of such issues, there has to be consistency in what a country/govt. does or doesn't. If England thinks that Zim is a country that needs to be ostracised, then so be it.Do it in all spheres.Otherwise don't.

In the case of India-Pak, the Indian government has a clear decision not to allow any Indian teams playing with Pakistan in any sport at a bilateral level.That's consistently applied to all sports including cricket.Also the government policy towards Pakistan in general is also not friendly(fortunately or unfortunately) and it makes a lot more sense when sporting relations are frozen in the overall context of the relationship between the two countries.

 

[luckyeddie]

As someone who campaigned long and hard against the 1970 (?) South Africa tour of England (ok, my campaigning consisted of a lot of under-age drinking in the pub, going on one march to Trent Bridge and signing Peter Hain's petition), I feel that my answer is a defiant NO.

However, the tour is on, the tests will be played and I will watch the activities and report on them. I should like to see the matches become a focus, not for anti-Zimbabwe protests but for anti-Mugabe activities. After all, he and his henchmen are the villains of the piece.

There will be worldwide television coverage - plenty of opportunity to unfurl the banners, chant anti-Mugabe slogans and generally get the message across that this tour is two fingers shoved in the face of those great men Henry Olonga and Andy Flower.

 

[marc71178]

In the case of India-Pak, the Indian government has a clear decision not to allow any Indian teams playing with Pakistan in any sport at a bilateral level.That's consistently applied to all sports including cricket.

But what about the Asian Test Championship? That's not bilateral, and neither is the Asia Cup.

 

[aussie_beater]

But what about the Asian Test Championship? That's not bilateral, and neither is the Asia Cup.

I think the venues of Asian Test Championship required India or Pak to play in each others country which India is not willing to do.As for the Asia Cup being played in SL or Bangladesh it beats me, but as far as I can remember there have been times in the Asia Cup when Pakistan has pulled out before India.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

There will be worldwide television coverage - plenty of opportunity to unfurl the banners, chant anti-Mugabe slogans and generally get the message across that this tour is two fingers shoved in the face of those great men Henry Olonga and Andy Flower.

Ah, this is true. I hadn't seen it from that angle but it does seem that some good can be made of an otherwise dreary situation.

 

[luckyeddie]

I have just listened to Henry Olonga being interviewed on Sky News (unfortunately I didn't record it, but I think a transcript may be available in a couple of hours - if so I'll do a write-up).

Henry himself is in favour of the tour (for reasons similar to those given elsewhere in this thread - opportunity for peaceful protest etc), and spoke at great length about the stand which he and Andy F took at the World Cup.

He revealed a little more about the rumours which were whizzing about at the time re Zim police - apparently he heard that they were in attendance at one game in question - ostensibly 'watching the cricket at the invitation of the SA police' - and it was this and other things which forced Henry into hiding.

Henry recognises that his course of action (black armband protest) is unlikely to be repeated by the current crop of tourists (although he lives in hope), but does not take inaction as proof of support for Mugabe.

Good interview - very interesting listening. The man has so much dignity.

 

[marc71178]

He was on Breakfast with Frost a few weeks back, and seemed to intimate that he hadn't definitely turned his back on the game.