Australia cannot boycott Zimbabwe on moral grounds

James Sutherland: 'I wouldn't want anyone to think that Cricket Australia are turning a blind eye about Zimbabwe or we don't have some sort of conscience about that' © Getty Images

Cricket Australia has said that it cannot boycott Zimbabwe on moral grounds, despite pressure from its own government to stay away.

Australia are due to play three ODIs in Zimbabwe in September, and, as was the case in 2004, the tour is already under attack from those who believe that Robert Mugabe's deteriorating human rights record should mean that the trip is scrapped.

However, James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive, said that Australia had an obligation to make the tour. "The difficulty we have is that we have a contract with the ICC and all of the other full member countries which include Zimbabwe to play matches there. From that perspective, we do not have much room to move.

"I wouldn't want anyone to think that Cricket Australia are turning a blind eye about Zimbabwe or we don't have some sort of conscience about that. But the reality is we have made formal commitments that really bind us to the ICC and all our members."

The ICC, who would fine Cricket Australia around US$2 million if they were to stage a boycott, has repeatedly refused to countenance any country refusing to play in Zimbabwe unless there were overriding safety and security reasons, or if the Australian government were to ban them from travelling.

Asked if a government ban on the tour would take the moral dilemma out of the board's hands, Sutherland said: "That's probably true ... they haven't done that before though. The government have said that they are not so keen on us to go but no-one has ever said that you can't go. That leaves it in our court and the simple fact is that we are a sporting organisation. There's a reason not to tour every country and I think it's very difficult for a governing body to be left with that decision when it's not specifically around security."

Local newspapers reported that several players were considering making themselves unavailable for the trip, while former captain Steve Waugh was quite clear in his thoughts, saying: "I don't think they should go."