Simon Heffer

Stop this evil tour

Simon Heffer on why the England cricket team must not go to Zimbabwe next year

issue 19 April 2003

In what used to be thought to be the gentleman’s game of cricket, a brisk handshake was usually enough to end any disagreements. With the Zimbabwean team scheduled to arrive here on 29 April to play two Test matches, various one-day internationals and games against some counties, you might think that doctrine was once again in operation. After all, it was only a few weeks ago that England threw world cricket into what the sports pages call ‘turmoil’ by refusing, for security reasons, to play a one-day match in Harare. Some Zimbabweans were outraged. A swingeing fine, thought to approach a seven-figure sterling sum, is being negotiated with the International Cricket Council. The total costs to England of not playing the game are said to approach £2 million. It seemed that cricketing relations between Zimbabwe and England would never be the same again, at least so long as the tyrant Mugabe remained enthroned in that country.

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