Respected cricket body recommends suspension of Zimbabwe

By Tichaona Sibanda
16 May 2007

A well respected and powerful cricket body, the Marylebone Cricket Club, has recommended that Zimbabwe should be suspended from Test and one-day cricket until standards improve and the playing infrastructure is rebuilt.

The 15-man MCC World Cricket Committee comprising former cricket legends, including former Zimbabwe Captain Andy Flower, made it clear during their annual gathering in London that the decline of the sport in the country was directly linked to the political regime of Robert Mugabe.

News agency reports said the panel also backed Australia’s boycott of their Zimbabwe tour in September.

A statement released by the group said once the social unrest has been addressed, the International Cricket Council should assist Zimbabwe in rebuilding as a serious cricket nation.

‘While it is not for the committee to make judgements on the politics of any particular country, we believe that the decline in the standard of cricket in Zimbabwe is directly related to the political situation there. An improvement is unlikely while the current regime is in place,’ the statement added.

The World Cricket Committee was put in place to discuss global cricket issues but has no legislative power in the game. Headed by former England Captain Tony Lewis, the group includes cricketing greats such as former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, former Australian Captain Steve Waugh and former West Indies pace bowler Courtney Walsh.