Zimbabwe Cricket chief questions other boards' tough actions

Ozias Bvute, the Zimbabwe Cricket chief, has questioned why several cricket bodies are taking a hard-line position against his country's board when no other sporting organisation has opted for such a stance.

"We [Zimbabwe] are a full member of FIFA and are currently participating in a World Cup qualifying campaign; we have a swimming programme which has produced Kirsty Coventry, a recent winner in the world championships," Bvute told BBC's Test Match Special. "So it would be strange that the only sport to take action on so-called current worries is cricket when all the other world sporting bodies have not taken that stance."

Last week the boards of South Africa and England suspended their bi-lateral agreements with Zimbabwe in light of the worsening political situation in the country. The issue will be discussed in the ICC's annual meeting in Dubai this week and a two-thirds majority vote within the ICC board - seven out of 10 votes - is needed for any resolution to be moved on Zimbabwe.

Peter Chingoka, Zimbabwe Cricket's chairman, wrote to all the members of the ICC executive claiming that any move to ban Zimbabwe would be made for political and not-cricketing reasons. Bvute echoed Chingoka's remarks and said reports of violence in the country was a matter for politicians to speak and decide on. "Over the last few years there have been problems between England and Zimbabwe," Bvute said. "This is not a new phenomena. I cannot speculate on the outcome but we have obviously noted the actions of others."

The Indian board said it would like to back Zimbabwe on the issue of full membership at the ICC meeting. And if the majority vote is in favour of Zimbabwe's continued membership, then the ECB will be forced to allow them to participate in the World Twenty20 next year or face the threat of the tournament being shifted out of England.