ECB meets to discuss Zimbabwe itinerary
The seemingly endless debate over England's forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe will resume in the next few days as the ECB management board meets at Lord's to discuss this winter's itinerary
Wisden Cricinfo staff
27-Jul-2004
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That the tour will take place is not the issue - the ECB has already committed to going - but the discussions will concern the detail, such as where the side will stay and how long they will be in Zimbabwe. Its findings are unlikely to be made public yet. Stung by the widespread criticism of its handling of the Zimbabwe issue, the ECB has adopted a more low-profile approach.
There are rumours that England will spend as little time as possible in Zimbabwe, with many people suggesting that their base will be in Johannesburg and that the team will fly in to Harare and Bulawayo for the matches, possibly on the day of the game itself. This is not as unlikely as it may sound as both cities are about hour's flight from Johannesburg.
And rumours also abound that a number of leading English players have said that they want to miss the trip, and it seems the ECB, who has said that it will not force anyone to tour Zimbabwe, will not stand in their way. The latest names in the absentee frame are, according to the Daily Telegraph, Stephen Harmison and Andrew Flintoff. For the time being the players are discussing the issue as one, but as the tour gets closer, it is inevitable that individual consciences will come to the fore.