Cricket: Too much money, not enough leadership

By PETER JESSUP

THERE'S a distinct lack of leadership on the cricketing front right now.

As the World Cup squads prepare to play in countries where terror rules (Zimbabwe) and threatens seriously (Kenya), governments, the game's authorities and our national captain seem to be abdicating all responsibility for decency and safety.

There's no politics in sport, eh?

But England and Australia playing in Zimbabwe will be projected there as support for President Robert Mugabe's racist regime.

Kenya, scene of terrorist attacks, will make much of the fact that it is a safe tourist destination if nothing does happen there during the World Cup. Terrorists will doubtless be looking on the global showcase as a chance to push their cause.

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed made a strangely veiled admission of security concerns yesterday when delivering the council's view that the two countries were safe destinations and that the games would go on.

New Zealand had offered to swap places with any other country that was not worried about playing in Nairobi, Speed said, but "not surprisingly", none had taken up the offer. Not surprising, presumably, because the security concerns are more legitimate than Speed would like to admit.

The New Zealand Government is warning citizens not to go to Kenya unless they have to and to avoid Zimbabwe. But cricketers must be different, given that it's not prepared to step in and stop them.

In England and Australia, the Governments are putting pressure on their sports organisations not to play in countries with undemocratic regimes that trample on human rights.

But as we already know, the Ces Blazeys of this world are elected to ensure that the sporting contest goes ahead, not to fight for human rights. The big-picture decisions should not be left to them.

With hotels and television cover booked and tickets sold, there is clearly reluctance to change the plan, purely because of commercial concerns. Someone might sue. Money is more important than life and limb, apparently.

Time for a team leader to stand up and say "We're not going," one might think.

Clearly Stephen Fleming doesn't agree. The skipper has thus far adopted the stance he did during the pay strike - silence.

Odd for a man who just months ago was caught up in the aftermath of a terrorist attack in Pakistan, who wandered through the debris of the bomb blast.

Across the Tasman, Matthew Hayden had no problem coming forward. He would not under any circumstances shake Mugabe's hand at pre-match or aftermatch presentations.

Hayden said: "That seriously compromises the values and traditions of what I'm about".

He received backing from others, including vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who commented that he hoped team officials would ensure the players were not put in the situation to have to refuse.

It's a great shame others don't have the same gumption and ability to stand up for themselves.