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Zimbabwe bans British journalists
November 24, 2004 13:37 IST
Zimbabwe's government has turned down applications by British media organisations to cover England's cricket tour, a team spokesman says.
However, the decision of the Zimbabwe government will not stop the much-criticised tour from going ahead, according to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
"I expect the tour to proceed despite the very unfortunate situation regarding media accreditations," ECB chairman David Morgan said on Tuesday. The first of five one-day internationals takes place in Harare on Friday.
England's media liaison officer Andrew Walpole said he had been told by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) that representatives of BBC television and radio; the Times, the Sun, the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mirror; and the Sunday Telegraph, the Sunday Times and the News of the World had been denied accreditation.
"I am flabbergasted by this decision," said England captain Michael Vaughan. There was no information on whether the applications by the Daily Express, the Daily Mail, the Independent, the Guardian and Reuters had been successful.
Walpole broke the news to reporters who are in Windhoek to cover two warm-up matches against Namibia. He said he had not been given reasons for the government's decision.
ZCU spokesman Lovemore Banda told reporters the Zimbabwe government was not required to give reasons.
"It is our government's prerogative (not to give a reason)," Banda said. "The government is not at liberty to disclose the reason."
England's tour of Zimbabwe, comprising five one-day internationals, has caused much heart-searching among players and officials. Last year England pulled out of a World Cup one-day match in Zimbabwe because of security concerns.
London has campaigned for Commonwealth sanctions against Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe because of his redistribution of white-owned farms to landless blacks and his 2002 re-election in a poll which international observers said was flawed.
URGENT TALKS
Morgan is due to arrive in Zimbabwe on Wednesday and said he would pursue the accreditation issue urgently.
"I find it unfortunate and embarrassing and I will be pursuing it on arrival there tomorrow morning, initially with the chairman of the ZCU and then with the appropriate government department having taken the advice of the British Embassy in Harare," Morgan told BBC radio.
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Asked if the tour should go ahead, Morgan said: "The England cricket team is committed to appear in Zimbabwe, that is well known. "The board of the ECB has looked at the issue in great detail and has concluded by a substantial majority that we have to proceed with the tour in the absence of their being no acceptable non-compliance."
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is also expected to apply pressure on the Zimbabwe authorities.
In a statement ICC president Ehsan Mani said: "I have spoken with the president of the ZCU (Peter Chingoka) and David Morgan.
"I have also spoken to the Zimbabwe High Commission in London on this issue as the ICC looks to get a clear understanding of what has taken place and the reasons for it.
"At this time, until we have received clarification on this issue, it is difficult for us to comment further on what has happened today."
The ICC has said any country refusing to tour for anything but security reasons or at governmental direction would face a $2 million (1.1 million pounds) fine and suspension from the international game.
Vaughan said he thought the decision to deny reporters accreditation was "totally wrong".
"I don't know how it can be called a cricket tour if our media are not there to cover it," Vaughan said while stopping short of saying he would withdraw from the tour.
"I wouldn't pull out because of the decision," he said.