Zimbabwe call some way off

The New Zealand cricket team's tour of Zimbabwe next year will go ahead unless the Government steps in and orders them not to go, NZ Cricket's chief executive Justin Vaughan says.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said last week she was opposed to the tour and has called for Zimbabwe to be thrown out of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

All teams are bound by the ICC's Future Tours Programme, and face severe financial penalties for refusing to tour.

"No ICC team has unilaterally pulled out because they haven't agreed with the politics of the host nation; that's always been a decision for the government of the day," Vaughan said.

"It's a political question and requires a political solution; it's not a decision NZC should have to make.

"We are a group of cricket administrators. We might have strong feelings about the situation in Zimbabwe, but judging international politics is not what we're about.

"There are other, far more qualified people to do that job – politicians, for example."

Vaughan said the tour was still at least a year away and NZC would wait and see if the situation changed.

"There'll be another ICC conference before then; undoubtedly, a lot will change in Zimbabwe in the next year, and by that time the ICC sub-committee appointed to investigate Zimbabwe Cricket will have reported back, and we'll have a clearer idea of the situation.

"You never know, we might not have to make a decision. Time is on our side at the moment."

Meanwhile, officials who hoped last week might have ended with one sort of resignation from the ICC had to cope with another as Michael Holding quit its cricket committee.

The great West Indies fast bowler stepped down in protest at the ICC's decision, taken at its board meeting in Dubai, to change the result of the 2006 Oval test from an England win over Pakistan to a draw.

Pakistan were originally ruled to have forfeited the match after their refusal to take the field after tea on the fourth day, having previously been penalised five runs by umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove for ball-tampering.

A subsequent hearing cleared Pakistan of ball-tampering and, on Friday, the ICC altered the result.

Holding, while accepting that Pakistan were not guilty of ball- tampering, said their refusal to play should not go unpunished.

"That game should never, ever be a draw. I have just written my letter of resignation to the ICC cricket committee because I cannot agree with what they've done. A lot of things that are happening today I don't want to be involved with."

- NZPA, AFP