Zimbabweans left in the dark

BBC News examines how the row over England's cricket tour is being portrayed in Zimbabwe

When England failed to board the plane in Johannesburg, Zimbabwe Television only briefly acknowledged the situation

"Have You Taken The Days Off Yet?"

These were the words of an advertisement for the series between Zimbabwe and England, placed in the sports pages of Thursday morning's Herald newspaper.

At the time of publication, it looked extremely out of place, with the tour in grave doubt, and the possibility of matches being rescheduled.

But the millions of Zimbabweans who rely on the state-run media knew little about what was taking place.

Government controls the country's electronic media and the two main daily newspapers, and the dramatic events ahead of England's scheduled departure were totally downplayed.

It was only on Wednesday evening, when the team failed to board the plane in Johannesburg, that Zimbabwe Television briefly acknowledged the situation.

The Herald's correspondents have made no mention of the events, the only report to have appeared being a brief story from a news agency.

On radio, the first acknowledgement of the fact that the Zimbabwe government had initially denied accreditation to 13 journalists came on Thursday lunchtime.

That was when the Information Ministry made its surprising U-turn and gave the go-ahead to the BBC, Daily Mirror, The Sun, The Times and Daily Telegraph.

As Robert Mugabe's government holds onto power, tight control of the media has been a key issue.

The Zimbabwean people were left mystified by the England saga

Since 2000, most of the foreign correspondents based in Zimbabwe have either left the country or been forced out.

Cricket reporters have also been affected.

In May, the Daily Telegraph's Mihir Bose was deported from Harare, and a Reuters correspondent was denied access to cover the Sri Lanka tour.

Visitors have often been caught up in brinkmanship, and government is used to having its way.

Last month, government ordered the deportation of a South African trade union mission, describing their trip to assess conditions in the country as "not acceptable".

So it came as no surprise that the 13 cricket reporters were initially refused accreditation, given the suspicion with which government view their organisations.

Yet cancellation of the England tour would cause the Zimbabwe government serious embarrassment.

As the economic situation has deteriorated in the country, government has been quick to realise the value that sport has in lifting the morale of the public.

The state-run media has been used to hype-up the tour, and while a great many Zimbabweans are too preoccupied with their daily hardships, significant interest has been generated.

The new-look Zimbabwe team, which now consists mostly of young black players, is being portrayed as an example of black empowerment.

Captain Tatenda Taibu is a household name, instantly recognisable to most Zimbabweans, who are well aware of the wealth that cricket has brought him at the age of 21.

Bowlers Douglas Hondo and Tinashe Panyangara are also well-known sporting idols, as cricket has become the second-most popular sport in the country.

But there has been no international cricket in the country for over six months, and the England tour is crucial if the sport is to move forward in Zimbabwe.