England should not let zimbabwe tour now

[brockley]

After mugabie's exploits in the last 3 weeks i think its time to stop zimbabwe touring england next year and playing in the 20/20 world cup,even if means england losing the 20/20 world cup.
Time for england to make a stand now and stop thinking of its hip pocket.

[SpaceMonkey]

England should have made a stand years ago. We should also tell the ICC where to stick it regarding Zimbabwe.

[fredfertang]

The saddest thing is that this thread even exists – the ICC and the game obviously should do all that they can to prevent Zimbabwe playing international cricket but how the UN and wider international community can just sit back and simply make disapproving noises in the light of irrefutable evidence of large scale human rights abuses is totally beyond me.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by fredfertang

The saddest thing is that this thread even exists – the ICC and the game obviously should do all that they can to prevent Zimbabwe playing international cricket but how the UN and wider international community can just sit back and simply make disapproving noises in the light of irrefutable evidence of large scale human rights abuses is totally beyond me.

What did you expect? They are all piss weak and Zimbabwe has nothing that the rest of the world wants. And I trust you to know what I mean there.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey

England should have made a stand years ago. We should also tell the ICC where to stick it regarding Zimbabwe.

Yeah, and be ostracised from the World game. Great idea.

There's things worth taking a stand on because you have something to gain by doing so, and there's things where shutting-up because you've no power to make any difference and can only make things worse for yourself is the best option. This is the latter. And has been for the last 6 years.

As regards the issue, Mugabe is no more pathetic-excuse-for-human-being-esque now than ever. Nothing has changed about the Zimbabwe situation.

[Chubb]

It is just possible that events over the past few days may mean that Britain will be able to ban the tour, which neither the ECB or the government wants to go ahead, without facing ICC sanctions. I have said before and will say again that the British authorities ought to call the ICC's bluff when it comes to a ban- ban the tour and leave the ball in their court. What will they be able to do without facing worldwide condemnation? Remember they did not punish Australia or New Zealand for refusing visas etc. I bet the spineless pack of fatcats would back down.

[andruid]

Oh come on. Is it the ECB, or Cricket Australia, or The ICC's job to be the world's conscience on this issue? I mean FIFA do not give a sh*t what the political situation of whatever country is so long as their stooges in the relevant governing body are left out of it. (Kenya played a World cup qualifier in Harare yesterday!! and nobody seemed overly concerened) therefore why are we expecting so much from the ICC who even worse than FIFA, has people high up in its ranks who have directly bnefitted from the junta currently running Zimbabwe into the ground. While it would probably more immoral for he ECB to avoid Zimbabwe for the time being what Zim Cricket needs is the ICC to sort itself out.

[duffer]

Originally Posted by andruid

Oh come on. Is it the ECB, or Cricket Australia, or The ICC's job to be the world's conscience on this issue? I mean FIFA do not give a sh*t what the political situation of whatever country is so long as their stooges in the relevant governing body are left out of it. (Kenya played a World cup qualifier in Harare yesterday!! and nobody seemed overly concerened) therefore why are we expecting so much from the ICC who even worse than FIFA, has people high up in its ranks who have directly bnefitted from the junta currently running Zimbabwe into the ground. While it would probably more immoral for he ECB to avoid Zimbabwe for the time being what Zim Cricket needs is the ICC to sort itself out.

Nail on head.

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by andruid

Kenya played a World cup qualifier in Harare yesterday!! and nobody seemed overly concerened

Surely the time has come for all other cricketing nations to cut sporting ties with Zimbabwe. It seems to me that for far too long other African nations have failed to take any proper action against Mugabe.

Sporting isolation is hardly likely to bring down Mugabe by itself but it's a brick in the wall. Whether this is done by the ICC or by individual countries, I couldn't care less. However the ICC would be able to ensure a united front.

Whether or not the ICC would pull its finger out and actually take action, however, I rather doubt.

[Debris]

It won't help much for England to stop playing Zimbabwe. Probably only SA can really put much pressure on.

[Langeveldt]

Is anyone on here stupid enough to think that sporting isolation will work against Robert Mugabe? Some romantics appear to think it was some moral-high grounding that bought down the entire apartheid regime.. I somehow doubt they were going to give it all up for a few tests in England!

[Manee]

Originally Posted by Langeveldt

Is anyone on here stupid enough to think that sporting isolation will work against Robert Mugabe? Some romantics appear to think it was some moral-high grounding that bought down the entire apartheid regime.. I somehow doubt they were going to give it all up for a few tests in England!

AWTA, beat me to it.

[fredfertang]

Is anyone on here stupid enough to think that sporting isolation will work against Robert Mugabe? Some romantics appear to think it was some moral-high grounding that bought down the entire apartheid regime.. I somehow doubt they were going to give it all up for a few tests in England!

Do we have the spirit of Denis Compton living on?

It all goes back to that almost forgotten mantra of the 70’s and 80’s “No normal sport in an abnormal society” – sending in a few Helicopter Gunships and a crack group of infantry is nothing to do with any sporting body nor, in my view, any political organisation other than the UN but given that politicians seem unwilling to interfere surely sport must at least mark its abhorrence of the regime in the only way it can?

What possible justification is there for maintaining any sporting cultural economic political or other link? The population are suffering I hear some shout - well of course they are and sanctions per se will never cause Mugabe any pain personally - but that's rather off the point .... I am often accused, with justification, of being a bleeding heart liberal who is far too tolerant but Mugabe's behaviour sticks even in my capacious throat

Sorry - wrong forum - i will go and rant elsewhere ..................

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by Langeveldt

Is anyone on here stupid enough to think that sporting isolation will work against Robert Mugabe?

What a ridiculous thing to say (and what an unnecessarily offensive way of saying it).

No-one here is suggesting that sport is going to bring Mugabe down. However proper worldwide sanctions may help and sport is but one small component in that.

Moreover, and quite apart from that, it is distasteful and inappropriate, to say the least, that anyone is playing sport with Zimbabwe, in the same sort of way that it was distasteful and inappropriate for other nations to participate in Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics.

[MrHat]

Mugabe is saying he'll only be removed by God, so a sporting boycott won't be giving him nightmares. To send a team there though would be sendng the wrong message to the Zim people plus the world that relations are normal and would set the campaign back.