Cricket Australia may be spared of any financial punishment by the sport's ruling body after the country's govt pulled the plug on the team's tour of Zimbabwe.
LONDON: Australian cricket authorities are set to be spared any financial punishment by the sport's ruling body after the country's government pulled the plug on the national team's tour of Zimbabwe.
Cricket Australia (CA) appeared to be facing what amounted to a two million dollars fine if the tour didn't go ahead as planned in September.
But International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcolm Speed said today its Future Tours Programme Agreement had a clause which meant a travel ban imposed by a government constituted "acceptable non-compliance".
An ICC spokesman told AFP in London via a telephone call that while the Dubai-based governing body has yet to see the text of any correspondence between CA and the Australian government; it appeared that the non-compliance clause would apply in this case.
In a statement Speed, himself an Australian, said: "It is not the role of the ICC to make political judgments. That is for politicians; the ICC is a sporting organisation and our role is to ensure that the game of cricket is played wherever possible.
"Our policy has been consistent since 2004 as, under the terms of the Future Tours Programme Agreement, if the government of one of the Members refuses 'to grant a consent, exemption, approval or clearance or imposes any restriction or prohibition' on its team to tour another country, these circumstances constitute acceptable non-compliance.
"In this instance it appears the Australian Government has acted in this way," he added.
"It is unfortunate for Zimbabwe's cricketers and supporters, all of whom need eposure to top-quality cricket in order to develop as players and to encourage future generations to take up the port.
"As for whether the matches can take place in a neutral venue, given the choice between that and these matches not taking place at all we would obviously prefer them to be played.
"That will be for the two Boards to work out but we would encourage them to look at all options.
"From an ICC perspective, we will work with Zimbabwe Cricket and our members to try to ensure the game there gets the support it needs in order to continue at this difficult time."
Australia's tour had been due to go ahead in September.
The Australian government barred the team from going because it said it wanted to deny a propaganda victory to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, labelled a "grubby dictator" by Australia Prime Minister John Howard.
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