Should England play in Zimbabwe ?

[Lambert Simnel]

Should the English cricket team play in Zimbabwe ? I suspect it will be a straightforward split between those who reckon sport and politics don't/shouldn't mix (the Sebastian Coe view) and those who feel that sport (and, in particular sporting success) has always had a political dimension to it (the Amnesty International line). However, sometimes the posters here really surprise me, so maybe we'll get some interesting takes on the subject...

 

[col]

Definitely not. Especially when remembers what happened to the Zimbabwean crickers who protested against the regime by wearing a black armband.

 

[Stapel]

I doubt not going will help even one tiny bit of a Zimbabwian.

I am sure that going will help at least the Zimbabwian Cricket team!

Is this actual again?

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Originally posted by Stapel
Is this actual again?

Yup, it is an issue agian - should England tour Zimbabwe (this summer, I think).

Yes, we're back to whether England should play cricket against another nation, which crops up every 5 years or so, with different reference points. I guess it's a familiar theme because the countries which play cricket are mostly ones which were part of the British Empire (and that not through choice...). So we end up with countries which have had some form of colonialism and possibly/probably racism either maintaining it or dispensing with it by one route or another and, as change rarely comes as easy as just tearing down a wall, terrible injustices happening as the change takes place.

Hmm. That almost makes me sound like an apologist for Mugabe, seeing him as a playing piece in the grand process of post-colonialst change for good and for self-determination. In a way I suppose he does fit that role, but he also fits the description of brutal dictator rather too well as well.

Col's right; the treatment of Olonga and (?) Flowers means that for any cricket team to tour Zimbabwe now is to condone a quite evil repressive system. And the newspapers in the UK seem to suggest a major factor in the decision is going to be the risk of possible fines & perhaps claims for financial loss from the Zimbabwe cricket board.... Perfidious Albion indeed....

 

[Håkon]

Why should England refuse to tour Zimbabwe? OK, so the human rights situation is awful. I can agree to that. But it can't be a unilateral thing, and given that Zimbabwe toured England this summer, I think they are being hypocritical.

IMO, Zimbabwe deserves the same treatment as South Africa had between 1960 and 1990 - no sporting competitions whatsoever - or England should be forced to tour the country, as there were no quibbles (or at least very little) when the Zimbabweans toured England, because they could be given the opportunity to jump off and become English (Murray Goodwin plays in Australia now, for instance)

Lambert, I think Grant Flower is still allowed to play, they've only banned Andy.

 

[rilnator]

Well, I spose it lets the English escape from losing another series. I think they shouldn't tour though, I feel sorry for the cricket loving public of Zimbabwe but its a good form of protest.

 

[Stapel]

Who will benefit from not touring? That is what I want to know.

 

[Stapel]

Originally posted by rilnator
but its a good form of protest.

Why then?

 

[col]

Henry Alongo was treated appallingly by the Zimbabwean cricket board and the Zimbabwean governmant. He has asked the England team not to tour because it will be treated in Zimbabwe as a vote for the Mugabe goverment.

Thats good enough for me.

 

[Stapel]

Originally posted by col
Henry Alongo was treated appallingly by the Zimbabwean cricket board and the Zimbabwean governmant. He has asked the England team not to tour because it will be treated in Zimbabwe as a vote for the Mugabe goverment.

Thats good enough for me.

In that case, they shouldn't go.

Maybe Tony Blur could send in a few troops to kick Robert's ass?

 

[SanPellegrino]

I also think the tour would acknowledge Mugabes reign of terror

 

[Mega Tsunami]

No, they should not go. I normally say sport and politics should not mix and supported Coe etc. going to Moscow. One exception was England going to apartheid South Africa and this is another exception.
I just know Mugabe would make political gain out of it and imagine if he went to meet the players and they had to shake his hand! (ala Chirac)

This has become a personal matter for England (well Britain in fact) because it is our former colony, because both Brits and Zimbabwians out there are being badly treated and because of the things Mugabe has said about Britain, Blair etc. Unfortunately, Australia and others do not feel the same about Mugabe and so they probably won’t join in any boycott of ours.

 

[allhailIndia]

When even India and Pakistan, after having fought 3 and half wars, csn decide to play matches in the other's countries, I don't see why the English cricket team should'nt be allowed to tour Zimbabwe, esp since Zimbabwe is just starting to rebuild their cricket team and should be given an opportunity to test it out against England. Given the Zimbabweans recent perfromances against WI, INdia and Australia, I think the Poms have something to think about

 

[rilnator]

Originally posted by Stapel


Why then?

It shows they want nothing to do with that regime. Sending a national team to play their represents England's respect for that nation as an equal

 

[bobgote]

I think that sports and politics shouldn't be mixed. Although Mugabe will try to claim tours as political mileage, I think there is something to be said for encouraging sport as it is something to get excited about in an oppressed nation. they need some kind of hope surely.

The Australian government strongly suggested to the ACB not to go, but so far the ACB have just told them where to go, so expect the Aussies to tour Zimbabwe. Their team did put up a good show over here a couple of times (against the two top teams in the world), and I think that should encourage the cricket over there a lot. Mugabe won't be around forever, but hopefully, Zimbabwean cricket will be.

I think a couple of well publicised statements that the teams are only doing it for the game, not for politics, could offset Mugabe's gain. I would like to know what the people there think of andy flower now, given that he was called a traitor when he left. Oh well, our gain, he's playing for south australia now, you may still see him in the international arena again yet

 

[rilnator]

Originally posted by bobgote
Oh well, our gain, he's playing for south australia now, you may still see him in the international arena again yet

Maybe, but not for Australia, unless we have about a dozen injuries to our top players all at once. Lehman should be in the Australian team ahead of anyone else.

 

[Ian Beale]

Originally posted by rilnator

It shows they want nothing to do with that regime. Sending a national team to play their represents England's respect for that nation as an equal

Yep- Mugabe is a thug- no way should our players go. To go would show respect for Mugabe's regime. To not go sends out a clear message, you are a tyrant and we want nothing to do with you!

 

[Achinz]

I'm with the "sports and politics don't mix" camp. Sports is one of the few international arenas (so to speak) that can still foster closer understanding and mutual trust, and undo the worst of politics.

 

[jack merchant]

Originally posted by allhailIndia
When even India and Pakistan, after having fought 3 and half wars, csn decide to play matches in the other's countries, I don't see why the English cricket team should'nt be allowed to tour Zimbabwe, esp since Zimbabwe is just starting to rebuild their cricket team and should be given an opportunity to test it out against England.

Not a valid comparison; even though Pakistan is in fact a dictatorship it still has the trappings of democracy and doesn't violate human rights anywhere near as systematically as Zimbabwe does. Mugabe these days rules through violence, theft and starvation, and no semblance of support of any kind should be given to him.
That includes sports.

Now maybe the cricketers could air their views on Mugabe's regime, but who seriously thinks ordinary Zimbabweans would find out about it ? It's not as if the country has a free press (the former free press having been sued and firebombed out of existence).

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Interestingly, in an inteview in Saturday's Independent, Henry Olonga appeared to prefer there to be controversy about the possible England tour with an eventual not going, rather than just a quick, clean decision not to go. The idea being to keep the issue in the news & in people's minds for longer.

For those of you who don't know, since his wearing of a black arm band dyuring a cricket match (to mourn "the death of democracy" in Zimbabwe) he received death threats which he took sufficiently seriously to emigrate to England.

And, after all, sports players have been killed before for defying dictators e.g. Matthias Sindelar
cf. http://www.sundayherald.com/36892