Sydney Morning Herald
By Aaron Lawton
January 10, 2010
THE New Zealand cricket team is unlikely to tour Zimbabwe in June or July, but there’s a strong chance it will instead square off against the African nation at a neutral venue.
Originally, the tour was supposed to take place in 2009, but was put back a year after discussions between Zimbabwe Cricket’s chief executive, Ozias Bvute, and his counterpart at New Zealand Cricket, Justin Vaughan.
At the time, NZC and the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association raised concerns about cholera, water shortages and the standard of medical care in Zimbabwe, and it appears Vaughan is still not convinced those issues have been resolved.
While NZC is yet to make an official decision on a tour, Vaughan yesterday said he would like one “sooner rather than later”.
“With Zimbabwe, I’d really hope to have that nailed down inside the next six weeks,” he said.
If NZC remains uncomfortable with the situation in Zimbabwe, Vaughan has floated the possibility of the sides playing at a neutral venue, as was the case late last year when the Black Caps took on Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
New Zealand’s concern about medical facilities in Zimbabwe appears to have touched a raw nerve in Africa, with Zimbabwe’s sports minister, David Coltart, responding in Harare’s Independent newspaper.
“I think it’s unfortunate because while we don’t have a First World health system, we still have very good medical facilities in this country. Our private health system is excellent, and for those who can afford it service delivery is excellent,” he said.
“The cholera epidemic that affected our nation in 2008-09 is a thing of the past. I don’t believe there is any justification to use health grounds to stop a team from coming here.”
However, reports last week suggested Harare’s sewerage system had all but collapsed and raw sewage could potentially contaminate the city’s main water source.