The Daily Telegraph
By Christian Nicolussi
31 March 2011
Don’t tour Zimbabwe…that’s the message from former Test star Stuart MacGill to Cricket Australia
THE cricketer who once famously abandoned a tour of Zimbabwe has slammed Cricket Australia for a planned trip to the troubled African nation later this year.
Stuart MacGill, who abandoned a 2004 tour of Zimbabwe on ethical grounds, said the volatile political climate under dictator Robert Mugabe had not changed and it was absurd an Australia A team, which features young players Tim Paine, Phillip Hughes and David Warner, were being put in this position.
Last week, Cricket Australia short-listed a squad of 24 players to tour Zimbabwe later this year.
Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said he was yet to hear of any complaints or concerns from the short list.
However, Federal Government website Smart Traveller this week warned Australians from touring Zimbabwe because of extreme danger.
“We advise you to re-consider your need to travel to Zimbabwe at this time due to politically-motivated violence in some rural areas, the high level of criminal activity, the absence of the rule of law, and the poor economic conditions which could lead to civil unrest, ” the government warned.
MacGill said nothing had changed since the Aussies last pulled out of a trip to Zimbabwe.
“Maybe there have been far-higher profile issues around the globe over the last couple of years, and certainly the past couple of weeks [civil unrest in Libya] but the fact remains that the money generated by the Zimbabwean Cricket Union contributes to the Mugabe regime, ” MacGill said.
“It’s a clear-cut case in my opinion, and I would immediately suggest that Australia A are simply a bartering tool so the main team doesn’t have to travel. The cynic in me feels Australia A are going because Cricket Australia thinks they will fly under the radar.”
Young said the tour of Zimbabwe had been public knowledge for a few months.
“We also had the Zimbabwe government minister for sport [David Coltart] come to Australia and New Zealand about a year ago and he made a high-profile appeal for the sporting links to be retained, ” Young said.
“He saw a real positive human-rights impact from doing that in terms of crickets development.”
MacGill said young players with a dream of featuring in the first XI would never let anything stand in their way.
“I was 35 when I made the decision not to tour and was prepared for any outcome [from Cricket Australia], but you couldn’t blame a 20-year-old for doing anything to play for his country, ” MacGill said.
“You can’t blame the players, but I definitely feel strongly about Cricket Australia putting them in this position.”