Zimbabwe on sticky Cup wicket

SAPA-AFP via The Mercury (SA) ^ | December 17, 2002

[Clive]

London: Political opposition to England's participation in World Cup cricket matches in Zimbabwe is hardening, according to a survey reported by the BBC here yesterday.

It polled 100 MPs from Britain's governing Labour party and found that 66% of those surveyed said England should refuse to play in Zimbabwe, which is co-hosting February's tournament with South Africa and Kenya.

Only 18 MPs said England should go ahead with its matches in Zimbabwe, the rest abstaining.

Last week, Britain's foreign office expressed its concern about what it said was the growing humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe caused by the policies of president Robert Mugabe.

And Michael Ancram, foreign affairs spokesman for Britain's opposition Conservative party, urged world cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), to strip Zimbabwe of its host status. However, Britain's sports minister, Richard Caborn, has always maintained that the ICC, not politicians, should make the final decision on Zimbabwe.

The ICC sent a delegation to Zimbabwe last month to inspect security arrangements.

The delegation's report was circulated to the ICC's 15-strong executive board on Friday and its decision on Zimbabwe is expected to be made public later this week. - Sapa-AFP

[Clive]

I would like to know who those 18 MPs are and to what party they belong.

Allowing a country to host any part of the World Cup is a political statement.

To do so when the government is committing crimes against humanity is disgusting.

Cricket is the world's most popular spectator sport, especially in Commonwealth countries in Africa and Asia.

[Clive]

-

[altair]

Cricket is the world's most popular spectator sport

Really? I thought that the most popular was soccer. Japanese sports pages give cricket regular coverage though I've never seen it on TV like I've seen soccer.

[Winniesboy]

Depends how you measure it...particularly live attendance versus TV audiences.

The global audience for cricket is boosted by enormous numbers from the four countries of the Indian sub-continent, where it is really the only sport. It's either the major sport or a major sport in most countries of the former British Empire/Commonwealth. The only real exceptions are Canada and some West African countries. Growing rapidly in some unlikely places elsewhere too, including Afghanistan!

As for the USA...well...volumes could be written (they probably have been) about the American lack of interest in cricket. Some of us live in hope this may change...I know you guys will be good at it if only you would give it a chance. One of my fantasies is that before I die I'll see a five-match Test series between England and the USA. England would win, of course (OK, I did say this was a fantasy). Not completely impossible....after all, 30 years ago hardly anyone in the USA apart from Henry Kissinger knew there was such a game as soccer.