Government directive may stop Zimbabwe tour

NZ Cricket's Martin Snedden talks to the media yesterday as former Zimbabwe cricketer Henry Olonga looks on. Picture / Simon Baker

The Black Caps tour to Zimbabwe may yet be abandoned after the Government indicated it would issue the cricketers with an instruction that they should not go.

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff is to seek urgent advice from the International Cricket Council about whether such a political directive would be enough to let New Zealand Cricket cancel the tour without facing financial penalties.

He said if it was, that was "precisely what we'll do".

"It will put the onus on New Zealand Cricket to make a genuine decision about the ethics of touring."

However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said today the Black Caps must tour Zimbabwe, unless the Government makes it illegal for them to do so.

NZ Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden would not comment yesterday on his organisation's likely response to what would be seen as a Government or parliamentary order.

However, it is understood NZ Cricket would feel under an obligation to obey it.

Although the position of the ICC on government directives is stated in their rules, and has been raised by the Green Party, the Government has rejected calls to simply tell the cricketers not to go, citing advice from officials that only legal action could stop the tour.

Mr Goff's toughened stance came after the ICC chairman Ehsan Mani yesterday released a letter to the Government saying it was up to politicians, and not the cricket body, to stop the tour.

"It is also recognised that governments will, from time to time, elect to use sporting sanctions as a tool in their foreign policy programmes," Mr Mani said.

"Our members accept and respect that where this clear directive is given by a national government, the obligations of the FTP (future tours programme) will not apply."

It was not clear last night if the Government would announce a policy banning sporting contact with Zimbabwe which would meet the ICC requirements as set out by Mr Mani, and a motion passed in Parliament is more likely.

Governments have in the past avoided banning New Zealand teams going overseas, including during the international boycott of apartheid South Africa.

However, intense pressure was applied by former Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon on New Zealand athletes not to go to the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and most did not.

Political parties have already agreed to a parliamentary motion condemning the human rights abuses under Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe, but Mr Goff suggested that the motion could be strengthened to tell the cricket team MPs wanted the tour called off.

"I'm very happy to say there should be a sporting sanction against Zimbabwe if that relieves New Zealand Cricket of the obligation of going there or facing terrible financial penalties."

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald, who has led the campaign against the tour, said the ICC letter should spell the end of the tour.

He said the ICC had made it clear it recognised the rights of a government to impose sporting sanctions.

Mr Donald and former Zimbabwe cricketer Henry Olonga yesterday met Mr Snedden at NZ Cricket headquarters in Christchurch, ahead of an anti-tour rally in Auckland on Saturday.

Olonga said he would take no pleasure in seeing the Black Caps miss out on an international tour.

"From my perspective, it's not like I will be rejoicing if the tour gets called off - I'm a bit torn."

The ICC rules

* Matches can be cancelled because of any action taken by a government.

* Such action, in this case a 'clear directive' or sporting sanction, needs to make it 'impossible' or illegal for the Black Caps to tour.

* If the ICC accepts the Black Caps cannot tour, and the games cannot be rescheduled, no compensation would be paid.