Security concerns should be the only reason the Blacks Caps tour of Zimbabwe next month is cancelled.
And I don't say that because of the financial implications facing the NZCC should that happen.
To me it's a clear case of divorcing politics from sport, nothing more, nothing less.
It seems to me that
if we are going to stop our cricketers touring Zimbabwe because we don't agree how they are running their own country then we are asking for trouble??..big trouble.
Sure, there is plenty to dislike about the way Zimbabwe is being governed but how many other countries can we say that about as well?'
The list would go on and on, so are we not going to play sport with any of those nations either?
Forget then about every again competing at the Olympics or at world championships.
Or we are going to allow ourselves double standards, and pick on just one or two countries and conveniently overlook the rest.
Security concerns are an entirely different story though.
If there is any danger at all of the team's safety being under threat then it's my view that the NZCC has no alternative but to call the tour off.
To allow individual players the right to make their own decisions on the matter would be unfair.
No doubt there would be some who would not be prepared to take the risk of getting through the tour unharmed, and others who see that risk as worth taking.
There would be division in the ranks and cricket can do without that.
NZCC boss Martin Snedden does need to watch his p's and q's though.
By constantly putting forward the view that his sport could be bankrupted if the Zimbabwe tour was cancelled and cricketers from there weren't allowed visas to tour this country he is creating an impression of arrogance on the part of the game's administrators, and nothing more alienates Kiwis than that.
All Snedden needs to say is that if the security of the side is under threat then the NZCC will act in a positive manner.
Simple as that.
