Olonga risked his career by protesting
|
Zimbabwe's Andy Flower and Henry Olonga are waiting to discover how they will be punished over their black armband protest.
The team-mates issued a statement condemning the Mugabe regime before Monday's World Cup match in Harare against Namibia.
They then wore the armbands during the game to symbolise what they called "the death of democracy" in their country.
The Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) denied reports on Tuesday that
leading batsman Flower and strike bowler Olonga have already been
suspended from the national team.
Lovemore Banda, the ZCU communications manager, said: "The committee, considering our response to their statement has still not concluded its deliberations.
Olonga has already been suspended by Takashinga, his club in Harare.
Taking politics onto the playing field is something that the ICC and other sporting bodies, including the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, have been avoiding
Givemore Makoni
Takashinga club chairman
|
President Robert Mugabe is the patron of the ZCU and his residence is just
across the street from the Harare Sports Club where Flower and
Olonga made their protest.
The chairman of the ZCU Peter Chingoka said there would be no
statement on the matter on Tuesday.
In an interview with BBC Radio Four's Today programme, Olonga, the first black cricketer to play in the national team, urged others taking part in the World Cup to take a "brave stance".
Correspondents say this is being interpreted as a plea to the England cricket team to forfeit Thursday's match in Harare.
"At the end of the day, this decision was based on moral convictions and a sense of a deep belief in that we had to do what was right to appease our conscience," Olonga said.
"Obviously we had to weigh up the possible consequences not only to ourselves, but to the Cricket World Cup and to cricket in Zimbabwe," he said.
"We will have to deal with whatever repercussions come along our way in the best way that we can, but we believe in the greater good."
Zimbabwe are still waiting to hear whether England intend to boycott Thursday's game as the row over security goes on.
The Zimbabwe captain, Heath Streak, said: "We would much rather
play them than be awarded the points by their default."
Email this story to a friend
Printable version
