Australia government assess Zimbabwe options

Cricket Australia (CA) will send a security delegation to assess the situation in Zimbabwe ahead of the team's proposed tour in September, but they may yet be given a get-out clause with the Australian government considering what action it could take to call off the trip.

CA officials and representatives from the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) met with the foreign minister Alexander Downer on Thursday with increasing unease surrounding the prospect of the tour. Downer said the government was exploring a range of legal options.

"If, legally, the government can stop it, then clearly that's an option," he told The Australian. "I don't think it's practical for the parliament to legislate to stop it in a one-off situation like this but if there is [an] existing legal basis, then that's an option for us that we would stop it ourselves." He reiterated his view the tour would be seen as a propaganda victory for the president Robert Mugabe

James Sutherland, the board's chief executive, said: "After tonight's meeting, we understand very clearly the government's concerns and preference for us not to tour Zimbabwe. In conjunction with the ACA, we will continue to work through these issues in the coming weeks and fully brief the players and CA's board of directors so they are as informed as possible before a decision is finalised.

"CA is also conscious of world cricket's requirements that each country visit all other nations regularly as part of the ICC's Future Tours Program. Cricket Australia is strongly committed to the global development of cricket. As with all planned international tours, a joint Cricket Australia-Australia Cricketers' Association security delegation would travel to Zimbabwe to assess the safety issues closer to the date of the planned tour."

Paul Marsh, the chief executive of the ACA, said the meeting had enabled discussions to take place on what was a very complex issue. He said the ACA would continue to "work with Cricket Australia, the Australian government and international cricket authorities in the hope of reaching an acceptable outcome".

John Howard, the prime minister, has already said the government would pay any ICC fine levied on Australia for not touring, which would amount to around $2m. If the final decision is the tour goes ahead it will be down to individuals to decide whether they are willing to take part.

"There are some issues there and every individual player will be asked what their own views on that are, and they'll have a chance to make up their own mind what they want to do," Ricky Ponting told The Australian earlier this week. "I'm sure every individual player will be asking themselves 'should I or shouldn't I be touring Zimbabwe?'"