Somerset players will be relieved by cancellation says Anderson

Shortly after the announcement on Tuesday afternoon that England would not be going to fulfil their fixture in Harare later this week the Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson told me: "From a Somerset perspective I am sure that Ian Blackwell, Andy Caddick and Marcus Trescothick will be relieved now that they will not be playing in Harare on Thursday, although some doubt still remains as to whether the game will be rescheduled."

He continued: "It is a very sad day for both English and world cricket that right at the start of the World Cup England feel that they cannot fulfil a fixture at one of the host nations. The I.C.C. set up the tournament to be played in three countries in the hope that playing in Kenya and Zimbabwe would help to spread the popularity of cricket."

He continued: "From the E.C.B. point of view they have to be sure that the security of their players is in order, and clearly they think that it isn't. The I.C.C. think completely the opposite, and not being there personally I am not in the position to try to judge the credibility of whatever threats exist to the England players, and therefore Somerset stand by the judgement of David Morgan and Tim Lamb, the chairman and chief executive of the E.C.B. who are both there."

Mr Anderson went on: "Cricket supporters in this country should remember how all this started. It emanated from Clare Short in a radio interview, was picked up and the flames fanned by Tessa Jowell and finally reached the Prime Minister. Having created the controversy which centred around the morality of playing in a country under Robert Mugabe's rule not a peep has been heard from them since. How they must be laughing."

The Somerset boss continued: "The E.C.B. and the players were under further pressure in that if they didn't fulfil the fixture substantial fines would be levied against the Board by the I.C.C. This would in turn have a knock on effect to individual players pockets and county crickets finances. Of course government financial support, having placed the E.C.B. and players in this position, is nowhere to be seen."

He continued: "It is true to say that players did have a concern that even if their personal safety had been guaranteed, riots may have occurred close to the ground resulting in violence, injury or even death at the hands of the riot control force. Whether or not that happens in other matches staged in Zimbabwe remains to be seen. Whether or not that should be a concern of the players is a matter of opinion."

Mr Anderson concluded: "I don't think that any blame can be attached to the E.C.B. or the players. I blame totally the government who raised the matter in the first place and having done so then walked away without any solutionthey are probably still laughing."