Moral dilemma

England forced to choose points or principles

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -- England must decide whether to put principles ahead of World Cup ambitions after its final appeal to switch its match in Zimbabwe was rejected Friday.

South African judge Albie Sachs, announcing his verdict less than 24 hours before the tournament opening ceremony, ruled that the game should go ahead despite England's concerns over political and social unrest in the country.

"The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) makes no complaint about the Zimbabwe Cricket Union," Sachs said.

"The players have manifested deep concern not only about the moral question but the safety of players and spectators.

"The greater the degree of danger and the more damaging its impact the greater the duty on the organising authorities to intervene.

"Having heard the appeal I have not been persuaded that the decision of the technical committee to insist the match takes place in Harare was wrong.

"This appeal does not raise or deal in any way with the consequences of the ECB and the England players not to play in Zimbabwe. These are matters for the ECB and the players."

Nasser Hussain's side, whose reservations have been based on both moral arguments as well as safety concerns, now face a stark choice.

It can either swallow its pride and travel to Harare or forfeit the Group A game Thursday. It is due to call a crisis team meeting later Friday to make its decision.

"There will be a players meeting..... Things will become clear after that," England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tim Lamb said.

A forfeit would all but end its hopes of reaching the second round of the competition, since it would have to beat at least two of world champion Australia -- which has defeated England in its last 13 one-day meetings -- 1999 World Cup finalists Pakistan and India to have any chance of progressing.

England's first official request to shift the match was turned down by the World Cup technical committee Thursday.

Shared dilemma

England is not the only side to face the dilemma. New Zealand, unsettled by a bombing in Mombasa in November which killed 16 people, has refused point blank to play Kenya in Nairobi on February 21.

Australia, meanwhile, like England in Group A, said earlier this week it was still ready to play Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on February 24.

It, however, like England, has accepted an International Cricket Council (ICC) offer to meet security experts and discuss the up-to-date situation in Zimbabwe.

The first game of the World Cup will be played Sunday. South Africa is staging 46 of the 54 games, with six planned for Zimbabwe and two in Kenya.

England -- which was told by ICC chief Malcolm Speed on Thursday that some of their concerns were based on "hearsay, radio reports, newspaper reports" -- Australia and New Zealand are effectively on their own.

Pakistan and India, in Group A, have stressed they are happy to play in Zimbabwe, while Sri Lanka, the other Group B team to play in Nairobi, also have no qualms.

New Zealand has yet to lodge an official request for a venue switch.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Martin Snedden told Reuters by phone Friday: "It'll probably be two to three days before I can make an announcement about our intentions publicly."

The governments of Australia and Britain are opposed to their national sides playing in Zimbabwe, although they have said they would enforce a boycott.

Australia and Britain have led calls for Commonwealth sanctions against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, accusing him of rigging his re-election in 2002 and compounding Africa's food crisis by seizing white-owned farms to give to blacks.

With half of Zimbabwe's 14 million people facing food shortages and the main opposition leader facing a possible death sentence if convicted of trying to kill Mugabe, some critics say say playing cricket there would imply approval of Mugabe's rule.

Planned opposition protests around matches have fuelled fears for players' and fans' safety at the World Cup.

 

Related information

Stories

ICC refuse to move England's Harare match

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video

Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.