New Zealand's stand on Zimbabwe

The ICC is set to meet this week in Dubai to discuss, among other things, whether Zimbabwe should remain a Full Member or not. New Zealand's prime minister, Helen Clark, has said the government would prefer that New Zealand Cricket cancelled its tour of Zimbabwe next year. Paul Holden, the Sideline Slogger, says it's not possible for the team to just no show up for the tour.

If NZC decide to bite the hand that feeds and pull the pin on the tour for an unacceptable reason along the lines of: “Sorry chaps, we find Zimbabwe a morally reprehensible place to play”, they will be staring down the barrel at an initial fine of US$2m from the ICC. Then there will be a killer blow: an obligation to pay Zimbabwe Cricket millions more as reimbursement for any losses incurred as a result of our no-show. If you sucked US$10m out of NZC, that would cripple the organisation and the sport of cricket in New Zealand. Hardly a practical option.

On the other hand, the players are contracted to NZ Cricket and must make themselves available for each and every tour - as much as some of them would like, they cannot pick and choose. Even if there were some allowances made for players who wanted to opt out on moral grounds, a New Zealand team of some description would still be obliged to front up in Harare.