Zimbabwe tour on - ACB

MELBOURNE - The Australian Cricket tour of Zimbabwe will go ahead as scheduled, Australian cricket Chief Executive James Sutherland said today.

Sutherland said the ACB was satisfied, at the moment, that it was safe for the team to tour the strife-torn east African country.

He also said it was appropriate that the tour go ahead as scheduled, even after Zimbabwe was banned from the Commonwealth overnight.

But Sutherland said the ACB would continue to monitor the situation in Zimbabwe as the safety of players and officials was the board's major concern.

"Sport is a powerful force for social cohesion," said Sutherland.

"Abandoning the tour will only impact on the ordinary Zimbabweans who love cricket."