Don't expect New Zealand Cricket to change its stance on the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, despite the last-minute appeals from the country's first black cricketer, Henry Olonga.
Brought here to support the Green Party's anti-tour stance, Olonga will today meet New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden in a bid
to suspend the visit.
Olonga, a staunch critic of sporting contacts with Zimbabwe, told National Radio yesterday that it was time the world started to notice what was happening in his homeland.
"It is immoral and the world somehow has to take a stance ... possibly, probably, even treat this as a situation as abnormal as apartheid."
However, NZC sources told the Herald yesterday that there was no chance of the tour being called off, and that Snedden was meeting Olonga today out of courtesy, rather than because of any second thoughts.
They claimed NZC's position had been made clear on a number of previous occasions, and Snedden had no intention of revisiting the tour, whatever the concerns over the Zimbabwe issue.
NZC would not only incur intolerable fines and penalties should it break its International Cricket Council touring contract, it would almost certainly be ostracised and risk being reduced to a sporting backwater.
Already, the Government's promise to ban the Zimbabwean cricketers from touring here in December has been estimated to cost NZC at least $3 million, and any chance of co-hosting the 2011 World Cup.
"There seems to be a feeling that NZC hasn't yet made up its mind over the issue of touring Zimbabwe next month, but it's misplaced," an NZC source told the Herald last night.
"Mr Snedden has been at pains to explain why the tour must proceed, and nothing mentioned in the meeting [today] is going to change that. The reality is that New Zealand must tour."
