British government asked to back Australian lead

An Early-Day Motion was tabled by former UK sports minister Kate Hoey at Westminster yesterday calling on the British government to support the action taken by John Howard in Australia.

The motion called on the government to "adopt a similarly unequivocal stance towards forthcoming England cricket fixtures against Zimbabwe until such time as the people of Zimbabwe are accorded their fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms".

Last night John Major, the former prime minister, told the BBC that he regretted that the government had not taken more of a stand ahead of the Zimbabwe tour in 2005.

"I don't think the England team should have gone but they had no choice as they went they were going they stood to lose a great deal of money and I think the government should have stood behind them and indemnified them for the cost. It's ancient history, but the pictures of Mugabe meeting the England team are a little uncomfortable to look at.

"No-one wants to damage Zimbabwe cricket, but if the circumstances are as they are now I don't think we could tour Zimbabwe and give credibility to the regime."