Anti-tour sentiment growing

One of two Zimbabwe cricketers forced to flee the country after protesting against Robert Mugabe's regime has spoken out in support of a cricket boycott.

Henry Olonga said the most important thing at the moment was the suffering of the Zimbabwe people.

He now lives in England, and has in recent weeks played cricket alongside Black Caps Chris Cairns and Hamish Marshall, who will both be involved in either the test or one-day series in Zimbabwe in August and September.

Olonga and team-mate Andy Flower staged a protest against Mr Mugabe's Government during the cricket World Cup in Zimbabwe in 2003, wearing black armbands to mourn the death of democracy.

Olonga told TVNZ's Close Up at Seven he would support a sporting boycott if it took away Mr Mugabe's opportunity to use international media to legitimise his Government.

Millions of people faced starvation, he said.

"Surely someone's got to stand up and say, 'Forget about all the other smaller things'."

Olonga said cricket was a huge industry in Zimbabwe "but people have got to weigh up what the most important thing is, and to me it's the suffering of the masses in Zimbabwe.

"If it means boycotting one or two tours, then I'm for it."

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden has cut short a visit to London for an International Cricket Council meeting, and was due back in the country as early as today.

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff is due in Australia today for talks with counterpart Alexander Downer, seeking his backing for a joint approach, with England, to the ICC, asking it to stop tours to Zimbabwe.

The Black Caps face a $2.8 million fine and suspension from international cricket if they do not tour. They may also have to compensate the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, of which Mr Mugabe is patron, for lost television rights.

National Party leader Don Brash yesterday said that if his party became Government it would pay the ICC fine.

Catholic Archbishop of Zimbabwe Pius Ncube said the Black Caps should not be sent to Zimbabwe given the human rights abuses in the country.

"Where a man is clearly out to thieve and kill to maintain himself, then all sanctions should be applied against the man and also against his Government."

Archbishop Ncube likened the Mugabe regime's move to drive people out of the cities and into the country by bulldozing their homes to the "killing fields" in Cambodia under Pol Pot.

He said that under Mugabe, Zimbabwe had slid into desperation after once being one of the richest countries in Africa.

* Do you think the New Zealand cricketers should go to Zimbabwe? Should the Government pay the ICC fine if necessary? Email the Herald newsdesk with your thoughts (see link below).