ECB backs ICC decision

Lamb says the ECB must avoid political decisions

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) intend to go ahead with a World Cup fixture in Zimbabwe after the ICC declared the matches safe to play there.

The ICC recently sent a ten-man delegation to Zimbabwe to assess the safety and suitability of the country to hold matches and their report giving the green light has been backed by the ECB.

However, the board also fired a warning shot across the bows of the British Government, elements of which had suggested England should consider withdrawing on political grounds.

As a national governing body for sport, the ECB does not consider it appropriate to make political judgements about the acceptability or otherwise of foreign government

Tim Lamb

In a statement released by the ECB to coincide with the ICC's announcement that the Zimbabwe matches would go ahead, chief executive Tim Lamb said:

"The ECB is not a political organisation and does not take decisions on that basis.

"Our primary concern is the safety and security of our players and management team."

"The recent ICC delegation to Zimbabwe was asked to examine whether or not it is safe and secure for our players to play in Zimbabwe.

"That was its only remit - it was not asked to consider political factors."

Echoing comments made by ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, Lamb pointed out that no country had imposed full economic or sporting sanctions on Zimbabwe.

"The British Government has not instructed us not to go and, indeed, there are over 300 British companies currently trading in Zimbabwe who, similarly, have not been instructed to cease their commercial activities.

"There is no wholesale international sporting boycott of Zimbabwe and, in recent times, their sportsmen and sportswomen have taken part in Davis Cup tennis matches, international golf tournaments and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester."

England played in Zimbabwe in 2001

Holding the matches in Zimbabwe has received criticism from both the media and politicians over the past few weeks, with two junior Foreign Office ministers expressing their personal opposition.

And in a poll of Labour backbenchers, 66% indicated their opposition to the England team's presence in Zimbabwe.

However, the Lamb reiterated the ECB's opinion that political judgments were not for it to make:

"As a national governing body for sport, the ECB does not consider it appropriate to make political judgements about the acceptability or otherwise of foreign governments.

Lamb also pointed out that despite reports to the contrary not all the Zimbabwean opposition were reluctant for the World Cup matches to go ahead.

While I was in Zimbabwe the deputy mayor of Harare and the mayor of Bulawayo, both senior members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), confirmed their support for the World Cup going ahead."