Sport | Cricket

Zimbabwe in and out of international cricket

Zimbabwe will retain their full membership in the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a sensational compromise deal which rescued world cricket from a virtual split.

  • By K R Nayar, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 11:52 July 4, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: K.R Nayar/Gulf News
  • From left: David Richardson-ICC acting CEO, David Morgan ICC president elect and Ray Mali ICC president announce the decision on the withdrawal of Zimbabwe from the Twenty-20 World cup.

Dubai: Zimbabwe will retain their full membership in the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a sensational compromise deal which rescued world cricket from a virtual split.

The Executive Board reconvened for an unscheduled third day of deliberations and came up with a solution.

Zimbabwe agreed to withdraw from next year's World Twenty20 championships in England.

"Zimbabwe Cricket has taken note that the British government is likely to refuse to grant visas for the Zimbabwe cricket team to take part in the ICC World Twenty20 2009. Therefore, the Zimbabwe delegation has decided to recommend to its board that the team should withdraw from that event," remarked David Richardson, the acting ICC Chief Executive Officer of the ICC.

Participation

"The delegation has undertaken to report back on the decision of its board to the ICC within one month. The delegation will report to its board that it will not suffer financially as a result of its non-participation in the ICC World Twenty20 2009."

Answering to a query from Gulf News whether Zimbabwe will be paid the participation money, Richardson said: "Yes they will be given the participation money. The Zimbabwe has agreed to take this decision on the greater interest of world cricket. This recommendation should be viewed as a one-off event and will not be taken as a precedent."

Coming out of the executive board, Peter Chingoka, the Chairman of Zimbabwe cricket said: "We decided to draw from the World Cup in the longer interest of the game. We have been informed that the British government will not grant visas for the team and under the circumstances we have withdrawn from the World Cup.

We don't want to be gate crashers. But we will retain our ICC membership and funding."

Ray Mali, the president of the ICC, reacting to a question why he tabled the motion on Zimbabwe, said:

"Cricket is a passion for me. Leaving this issue hanging will be a heavy responsibility on me as the leader of this organisation. We needed to resolve it and have found a solution which is a win-win for all of us.

"David Morgan, who took over as the next ICC President, praised Mali's effort. "Mali played a significant part in solving the problem and we have a successful outcome."

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