NZ will tour Zimbabwe unless ordered not to

New Zealand are likely to tour Zimbabwe in 2009 unless ordered not to by the country's government. New Zealand's prime minister Helen Clark has said that she does not want a side from her country touring there next year but hasn't intervened to stop them from travelling to Zimbabwe.

"No ICC team has unilaterally pulled out because they haven't agreed with the politics of the host nation; that's always been a decision for the government of the day," Justin Vaughan, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive, told Sunday Star-Times. "It's a political question and requires a political solution; it's not a decision NZC should have to make.

"We are a group of cricket administrators. We might have strong feelings about the situation in Zimbabwe but judging international politics is not what we're about. There are other, far more qualified people to do that job, politicians for example.

"The tour to Zimbabwe is a year away," he said. "There'll be another ICC conference before then; undoubtedly, a lot will change in Zimbabwe in the next year, and by that time the ICC sub-committee appointed to investigate ZC will have reported back, and we'll have a clearer idea of the situation. You never know, we might not have to make a decision. Time is on our side at the moment."

New Zealand toured Zimbabwe for a Test series in 2005, and are due to return there in a year's time, but Clark made it clear she was completely against the idea, arguing that Zimbabwe was not a fit country to play cricket against.

The government stepped in to ban Zimbabwe from touring later in 2005 by refusing to grant their players visas, and it may well be that they will follow the lead given by John Howard who, when he was prime minister of Australia, prevented a team from his country visiting Zimbabwe.