Blair urges cricket boycott

President Mugabe denied rigging his election win

Tony Blair has urged England's cricketers to boycott their World cup match in Zimbabwe.

But under questioning from Conservative MP James Gray, the prime minister insisted the ultimate decision remained with the cricket authorities.

We've expressed our view very clearly that [the players] should not go

Tony Blair

Mr Blair's comments - coming at the new, earlier prime minister's question time, followed those of Welsh Secretary Peter Hain who urged a boycott on Sunday.

Mr Gray suggested the match could be rescheduled to either Kenya or South Africa or abandoned altogether.

He said it was a decision for statesmen rather than cricketers.

Advice

Mr Blair replied: "We've expressed our view very clearly that [the players] should not go.

"But as with decision over the 1980 Olympics it is not within our power or ability to tell other people not to go.

"We've made it quite clear to the cricket authorities that we believe that they should not go.

"I hope they take account of our advice. Whether they do so or not is a matter for them."

Credibility

On Sunday Mr Hain - who was a noted anti-apartheid campaigner - asked the players to "show some moral backbone" by refusing to play in Zimbabwe if the event goes ahead.

England cricket captain Nasser Hussain has asked the government to make the decision over of a boycott on behalf of English cricket.

But Mr Hain said the credibility of the International Cricket Council and the Commonwealth depended on the whole event being switched to South Africa.

Outcry

There has been an international outcry about Mr Mugabe's treatment of white farmers and opposition politicians, while millions face starvation in a humanitarian crisis.

Mr Hain said Mr Mugabe would exploit the World Cup to convey a sense of normality.

He accused the president of destroying the country for his own gain.

The minister first attracted widespread public attention for his efforts to disrupt the Springboks' 1970 rugby tour by staging pitch invasions and even gluing the locks on the players' hotel rooms.