The Australian

28 June 2010

By Malcolm Conn

JOHN Howard is so unpopular in African cricket circles that South African officials refused to meet him last week to discuss the former prime minister’s nomination as president elect of the International Cricket Council.

This trenchant opposition has left Howard’s chances of becoming the next ICC vice-president on a “knife edge” according to one official.

What should have been a routine appointment months ago following his joint nomination by Australia and New Zealand will now be decided at an ICC executive board meeting in Singapore tomorrow and Wednesday.

Howard stopped in South Africa on the way to meeting Zimbabwe Cricket officials in Harare last week, wishing the Socceroos all the best and attempting to catch up with Cricket South Africa’s hierarchy.

Much to the amazement of some cricket officials and chagrin of others, Howard was snubbed, reinforcing SA’s opposition as a proxy for Zimbabwe.

Outgoing ICC president David Morgan is continuing to lobby India in particular in the hope that an already embarrassing stand-off will not become a full-scale schism which would destroy the ICC’s administrative process.

A guarded Morgan continued his unequivocal support of Howard last night.

“I believe he is an excellent candidate,” Morgan told The Australian from Singapore.

“He has the right experience and attributes to do an excellent job and thus far I’ve not heard any good reason from anybody as to why he should not be the next vice-president of the ICC.”

Morgan declined to discuss any details of Howard’s support levels but The Australian understands there has been no improvement from last week, when only five of the 10 so-called Test-playing countries were prepared to vote for him.

At least seven votes are required to become vice-president for a two-year term, which is automatically followed by a two-year term as president.

Zimbabwe’s strong private anti-Howard stance, even after last week’s meeting with ZC officials, is in stark contrast to the public utterances of its chief executive Ozias Bvute.

“A section of the international media has erroneously created the impression that we have been at the forefront of a motion to block Mr Howard’s nomination,” Bvute told Zimbabwe media.

“This is not only maliciously incorrect but also ignores the fact that our structures dictate that such a decision can only be taken by the ZC board which is in fact still to meet and state a position on the matter.”

Bvute also claimed that past tensions are unlikely to influence Zimbabwe’s final decision.

Despite ZC’s strong backroom opposition to Howard, who has been a long-time critic of brutal president Robert Mugabe’s regime, Zimbabwe sports minister David Coltart claims that ZC officials keep telling him they are not opposing Howard. Coltart has no direct links with ZC.

Sunday Mail

27 June 2010

By Makomborero Mutimukulu

IT is generally agreed that winning the Comrades Marathon, the world’s oldest and largest ultra-marathon race, is one of the topmost accomplishments in athletics.

Athletes who cross the finishing line first in the 90-kilometre race become legends overnight and are showered with praise for the rest of their lives.
Winning the Comrades Marathon is an extraordinary feat.
Doing it twice, like Zimbabwean athlete Stephen Muzhingi has done, is a magnificent achievement. No superlative can fully describe the feat.
Equally one would also run out of words to describe how Zimbabwe has inexplicably failed to honour Muzhingi for exploits that can be compared with the Warriors winning the World Cup and Kirsty Coventry scooping gold at the Olympics.
As Zimbabweans we ought to be ashamed of ourselves for frustrating one of the country’s most successful long-distance runners into wishing he was South African.
“The South Africans are more proud of me and maybe this is why I should become a South African. It is so hard to be recognised in my own country, but maybe now, with this second win, I might just be recognised at home,” Muzhingi was recently quoted as saying.
In Gutu, Muzhingi’s birthplace, people are perplexed as to why the media splashes full portraits of athletes such as Usain Bolt and not the boy who grew up with a dream of becoming a bus driver before going on to rule the world marathon circuit.
“I don’t know much about this Bolt guy, but I am certain that he does not stand a chance with Muzhingi,” 50-year-old Mariah Mupah told The Sunday Mail from her market stall at Gutu Growth Point last week.
Mupah may be forgiven for trying to compare a sprinter with a long-distance runner, but what excuse does Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart have for not making noise about Muzhingi’s Comrades Marathon triumph?
Coltart must be at the forefront of pushing Government into honouring Muzhingi.
Maybe the reference to “sport” in Coltart’s title should be replaced with “cricket”.
Twice Muzhingi has won the world’s toughest race and Zimbabwe is silent, going about business as if nothing has happened?  It’s nauseating!
However, such has been the life of the 33-year-old Muzhingi who was given notice to vacate his lodgings by a landlord who was not amused by the top-of-the-range fridge the athlete had bought using proceeds from his 2009 Comrades Marathon triumph.
“After winning the race last year, I first bought a fridge and when I took it home the landlord gave me notice to vacate. I then bought a house,” disclosed the South African-based athlete.
Muzhingi has had to fight adversity at every turn while working twice as much. His initial attempts to take a crack at the Comrades Marathon went up in smoke as he just could not afford a ticket to South Africa. And after several failed attempts, Muzhingi made his Comrades Marathon debut in 2005, crossing the line at number 123 before coming seventh in 2007.
The year 2009 saw a long-cherished dream come true when he became the first African, outside South Africa, to win the much-revered race. A few weeks ago, Muzhingi proved that his 2009 triumph was no fluke by successfully defending his title.
However, unlike the first time when he had to borrow a Zimbabwean flag from a church and celebrate alone, this time Muzhingi was a prepared man. His wife Erinah and son Mathen were on standby, with national flag in hand, to share in his moment of glory.
“This race is for my wife and child. I think I was running for them,” Muzhingi told the media a few minutes after successfully defending his title.
Now, as Zimbabweans we might be forgiven for turning a blind eye to his 2009 triumph, but it is inexcusable for us to fail to stand up and take note of Muzhingi’s exploits.
If we can give Coventry a diplomatic passport for winning gold at the Olympics and Sizzla Kalonji land for his project, what can stop us from being extravagant with Muzhingi, our two-time Comrades Marathon champion?
Come on, let’s honour this son of the soil!
There is a chain of people who are sleeping on the wheel. The media has not made enough noise about the matter, the Athletics Association of Zimbabwe are conspicuous by their silence, the Sports and Recreation Commission has only issued a feeble statement while the ministry responsible seems to believe cricket is the only sport in Zimbabwe.
Last year, Coltart only got to salute Muzhingi on behalf of Government a few days after this paper had broken the story on how the athlete had made history in Mzansi.
“It’s good when Zimbabwean men and women raise the flag high and it is important to rebrand Zimbabwe through sport because the country has been associated with things that are not good,” Coltart said in his congratulatory message.
“We are delighted with what you have achieved for the country and we are certainly proud of the achievement. I’m going to be watching closely next year’s race and hope you will break the record and with the 2012 Olympics coming you will focus on that. I will be following your exploits closely.”
Now the Comrades Marathon edition that Coltart promised to “watch closely” has come and gone with Muzhingi proving that he is the undisputed numero uno.
We now wait to see what Government will do. It is a people’s Government after all, is it not? Surely, this is a matter that will not take Cabinet more than five minutes to deliberate on.
Maybe it’s about time Walter Mzembi “hijacks” the matter.
“Zimbabwe is also the birthplace of current Comrades Marathon champion,” the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister could say as part of the marketing drive that saw Brazil come to play a friendly with the Warriors in the build-up to the World Cup.
Recently, Muzhingi spoke of his disappointment at how his maiden Comrades Marathon triumph was received in his country of birth. “For other athletes who have won before, the trophy was flown and presented to prominent persons in their country. I did not know who among the prominent leaders was willing to receive it on my behalf. I have tried to go through the Sports Commission and the mayor (of Harare, Muchadeyi Masunda), but nothing has worked out.”
For transforming from a boy who used to run more than 10 kilometres to school to becoming a two-time Comrades Marathon winner, Muzhingi is a legend regardless of the sickening manner his country is living true to the assertion that a prophet has no honour in his country of birth.

The Australian

26 June 2010

By Malcolm Conn

JOHN Howard still does not have the numbers to become president-elect of the International Cricket Council just days before its meeting.

As increasingly frantic and embarrassed officials step up backroom diplomatic efforts to try to avoid a major meltdown, serious concerns remain that the former prime minister’s nomination will be rejected.

Should this happen the ICC will become deadlocked and its administrative process will collapse, further savaging cricket’s already damaged credibility.

Overseas officials privately claim that as of last night Australia had just five of the 10 so-called Test-playing nations on-side. A minimum of seven is needed to confirm Howard as vice-president for two years then president for a further two years.

Cricket Australia was unavailable for comment last night.

There is a suggestion the Asian bloc is splitting, with Pakistan and Bangladesh willing to join Australia, New Zealand and England in supporting Howard.

Worryingly, India is yet to declare a position, despite incoming ICC president Sharad Pawar, an Indian government minister who is not on the BCCI, supporting the “process” of the ICC’s regional rotation system. It was Australia and New Zealand’s turn and they eventually nominated Howard.

Sri Lanka is waiting for India’s lead but has a long-standing animosity towards Howard after he publicly endorsed the widely held view in Australia that spinner Muttiah Muralidaran, Test and one-day cricket’s leading wicket-taker, was a “chucker.”

Outgoing ICC president David Morgan of England has been concentrating his efforts on persuading all-powerful India to back Howard’s nomination.

Officials believe Morgan is making progress. He did not return calls from The Australian.

There is also doubt about how much was achieved by the dash Howard and Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke made to Harare earlier this week to meet Zimbabwe Cricket officials.

Zimbabwe sports minister David Coltart facilitated Howard’s visit to Zimbabwe after ZC officials claimed they did not have the chance of discussing the issues with Howard face to face.

ZC president Peter Chingoka is banned from travelling to Australia, the UK and EU because of his close links to the brutal regime of Robert Mugabe regime.

Coltart introduced Howard to the ZC officials on his arrival in Harare but was not part of the meeting.

“Generally it has been welcomed,” Coltart said. “In the Zimbabwean context it received favourable press coverage.”

One state-controlled newspaper wrote an editorial ridiculing Howard.

“I view that editorially very positively because although it takes the line of (Mugabe’s) Zanu PF it concludes with the statement: ‘Zimbabwe holds no grudges and we urge Zimbabwe Cricket to give him all the support he needs if he is the man for the job.’ That’s quite remarkable,” Coltart said.

“It is such a fragile political process in this country. Everything is tentative. We must await Singapore. The visit went as well as could be expected.”

While ZC officials continue to tell Coltart that ZC is not leading the anti-Howard push, officials in South Africa have privately confirmed Chingoka is leading the charge. ZC officials resent Howard’s strong opposition to Zimbabwe during his 11 years as prime minister and Cricket SA is supporting ZC on political grounds.

Zimbabwe Independent

By Associated Press

25 June 2010

ZIMBABWE Cricket officials said yesterday they met with former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a long-time critic of Zimbabwe and cricket in the country, and reached a ‘’better understanding’’ with him on the future of the sport.
But Ozias Bvute, managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, stopped short of saying the nation will drop its opposition to Howard’s candidacy to head the world’s governing body, the International Cricket Council.
Bvute said Zimbabwe officials ‘’managed to clear the air on many outstanding issues’’ with Howard in talks on Wednesday in Harare.
As the Australian leader, Howard had campaigned for a cricket boycott of Zimbabwe, citing the nation’s human rights record. He left Harare on Wednesday after a secretive 24-hour visit.
‘’We had a good meeting. He pledged his support for Zimbabwe Cricket’’ after touring cricket facilities in Harare, Bvute told   the Associated Press.
Howard discussed his campaign for the vice presidency and then the presidency of the ICC.
‘’We are now fully in the picture on his plans for the cricket world,’’ Bvute said.
Last month, Zimbabwean officials said they opposed Howard’s candidacy and enlisted the support of Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka who all played against Zimbabwe during its isolation by Australia, England and their cricketing allies.
Howard had called for the southern African nation to be stripped of its Test cricket status in 2003 at the height of often violent seizures of thousands of white-owned farms.
Howard arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday on a trip held under wraps by Australian diplomats in Zimbabwe who hosted him and referred reporters to the main cricket website in Australia for information on the trip.
Howard’s nomination by Australia and New Zealand for the ICC vice president’s post and elevation to the presidency in two years time is up for discussion at the world body’s annual meeting in Singapore next week.
Earlier this month, Zimbabwe sports minister David Coltart met with Cricket Australia officials in Melbourne and Bvute and the head of Zimbabwe Cricket Peter Chingoka met with their counterparts in neighbouring South Africa in preparation for the Singapore meeting.
Howard needs support of seven of the ten Test cricket nations to carry the vote.
Zimbabwe Cricket reported in a brief statement on Wednesday that Howard told its officials: “My personal wish is to see Zimbabwe fully reintegrated into the world cricket family and see the sport continue to grow in all parts of the world, including Zimbabwe.”

Chenai Moyo, (18) is confident she would have passed the examinations at her school in Harare, but for two years in a row there was no money; now she has to fend for the family and depends on an older man for support.

“I couldn’t register for examinations last year (2009) because my father had just passed away and the little money that was there went towards his burial. My mother is not employed and now that she is ill the situation is worse for me and my brothers,” Moyo told Irin.

Her mother tested positive for HIV in 2009.

Moyo was a brilliant student but said she would probably never sit her ‘O’-Level examinations; a school-leaving certificate. “My mother talked me into marrying this man who is an elder in our church. He has promised to look after my ill mother and my two brothers, but I have given up hope of ever going to school again,” she said.

She is not alone; recent Education ministry statistics showed that some 100 000 learners (33% of those eligible to write ‘O’-Level exams) and around 10 700 learners (29% of those eligible for ‘A’-Level exams) had failed to register.

“This year … there are a number of students out there who have failed (to register) because of poverty,” education minister David Coltart said in a statement.

Zimbabwe’s ailing Education system, once a model for sub-Saharan Africa, has buckled and all but collapsed under the economic and political crises of the past decade when widespread food shortages, hyperinflation, cholera outbreaks and an almost year-long strike by teachers in 2008 led to a dramatic decline in the standard of learning.

It is not uncommon for 10 pupils to share a textbook.

Although the government drastically slashed school fees in February 2009, deepening poverty put even the reduced cost of attending government schools in some areas beyond the reach of thousands of children.

The government extended the initial exam registration deadline of May 28 by two weeks but most people were sceptical that parents and students who had previously been unable to pay the fees – $10 per ‘O’-Level subject and $20 per ‘A’-Level subject – would be able to raise the money in time.

“The extension means nothing at all — the period is too short and one wonders why the government is in such a hurry to close the door on students,” the president of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Raymond Majongwe, told Irin.

“Besides, late entrants will be fined $5 per subject and we don’t know where the government expects the poor parents that have failed to raise the examination fees to get the extra amount.”

Majongwe said he thought the ministry’s figure for the number of students who had failed to register for examinations was an “understatement” of the gravity of the situation.

“According to our own independent surveys, close to 200 000 ‘O’ and A-Level students have been denied the chance to prepare for their future,” he said.

There are thousands who have resigned themselves to fate as they have failed to write in the past and are not part of the current statistics since they are not attending school,”

A headmaster at a secondary school in Seke Rural District, about 40km south of the capital, said only 30 students at his school would write their ‘O’-Level examinations this year.

“I was supposed to have 125 students sitting for their ‘O’-Level examinations but only a handful managed to register,” he noted.

“While the examinations fees might not seem too high, it should be remembered that the majority of households in rural areas still have large families to look after and there is a significant number of child-headed families.”—AllAfrica.com

ABC

24 June 2010

It took extraordinary circumstances – and a rare diplomat – to arrange John Howard’s surprising visit to strife-torn Zimbabwe.

By travelling there, Howard might just have demonstrated a grasp of cricketing realpolitik that will set him on the path towards a fruitful term as International Cricket Council president.

Given his lengthy and unwavering history of opposition to the Robert Mugabe regime, Howard cannot have been expected to venture readily to Harare.

But in order to serve effectively as the head of the game’s global administration arm, Howard will need to make plenty of trips like this.

His hastily arranged visit to speak with Mugabe backers Peter Chingoka (Zimbabwe cricket president) and Ozias Bvute (chief executive) will go a long way towards fostering a workable relationship between Howard and the African nation.

Howard and Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke flew to Zimbabwe at the suggestion of Zimbabwe’s sport minister David Coltart, a senior figure in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) the longtime opponents of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and now partners in a precarious joint government.

Coltart visited New Zealand and Australia last week to meet with officials in cricket and government, and was fluent in explaining the need for engagement with Zimbabwe, particularly in areas to have shown improvement since the MDC were given a foothold.

“The problem is there is still a lot of general scepticism regarding this provisional arrangement,” he said.

“There still is concern about the slow pace of reform, ongoing human rights violations and related to that the concern that if for example there is re-engagement at this stage, that that may buttress ZANU-PF.

“Against that I’ve had to argue that we have to see this process in much the same way as happened in South Africa in the early 1990s. It’s a time of transition, and no-one can guarantee that it’s going to end happily.

“The entire provisional government is highly problematic, I sit on cabinet with Robert Mugabe, who I have been at loggerheads with for 30 years.

“But what takes us through is this belief that we can’t dwell in the past and that in the interests of saving lives and saving the country, we simply have to make this work.

“That involves sometimes taking a deep breath and working for the future.”

Howard was also moved, of course, by the pressing need for him to shore up support ahead of the imminent ICC conference in Singapore, where he should be ratified as the next vice president and ultimately president.

Clarke and Howard were due to return to Australia later on Thursday, before Clarke and CA chief executive James Sutherland fly to Singapore for the conference on Saturday.

Herald

24 June 2010

By Felex Share

Government will assist all eligible needy candidates who failed to register for the November 2010 public examinations, a Cabinet minister has said.

In addition, the State has released US$1,8 million for candidates under the Basic Education Assistance Module.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday said apart from the Beam facility, the Government would pay exam fees for six Ordinary Level subjects and four Advanced Level subjects — including the General Paper — for poor students.

He said those who had registered less than six O-Level subjects would also be assisted.

Minister Coltart said secondary school heads will convene in Masvingo today to discuss the modalities and must thereafter submit lists of unregistered students to provincial education directors before July 2.

“The ministry is aware that there are children who have failed to register for the examinations due to poverty and adverse economic factors.

“Sensitive to the plight of such children, Government has decided that all school headmasters with candidates who have failed to register as a result of failure to raise examination fees, should, with immediate effect, compile lists of such candidates and submit them to the ministry.

“Provincial education directors should in turn submit consolidated lists to the permanent secretary before the stipulated deadline,” he said.

Minister Coltart said there was still sufficient time to accommodate the affected candidates.

“After all, these exams will be written in November so there is enough time to ensure every eligible child sits for the examinations.

“It will be a travesty of justice if a child who has worked so hard for all these years is denied the chance at the last hurdle because of money.

“Government is absolutely committed and has decided to take extra measures to ensure that these future leaders are not left out,” he said.

The minister urged school heads to fast-track compilation of the lists to allow Government to make budgetary arrangements.

Commenting on the Beam facility, Labour and Social Services Minister Paurina Mpariwa said out of the US$15 million reserved for the programme, US$1,8 million would be used for examination fees.

“The money for the facility has been made available and it is only left to the Finance Ministry to distribute it to the relevant beneficiaries.

“The money will only benefit those students chosen by the selection committee using the necessary requirements,” she said.

Only 23 percent of the total prospective candidates will benefit from the facility.

Last year, thousands of students failed to register for the examinations owing to “exorbitant fees”.

The same situation was likely to be experienced this year.

Exam fees are US$10 and US$20 per O’ and A-Level subject respectively respectively.

The Age

By Chloe Saltou

June 24, 2010

JOHN Howard last night came face to face with the two Zimbabwean cricket officials who have sought to undermine his bid for International Cricket Council office, in an effort to save his beleaguered nomination.

Howard put his diplomatic powers to the ultimate test at a landmark meeting with ZC’s president, Peter Chingoka, and chief executive, Ozias Bvute, who have close links to the despotic Robert Mugabe regime of which the Australian was a strident critic during his prime ministership.

He was accompanied in Harare by Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke, representing the Australian and New Zealand boards, whose joint nomination of Howard for ICC vice-president, and future president, was meant to be rubber-stamped at the council’s annual conference next week but instead has re-opened bitter divisions in the cricket world.

The meeting was brokered by Zimbabwe’s reformist sports minister, David Coltart, who has paved the way for Australia and New Zealand to resume cricket ties with Zimbabwe within a year and urged the stricken nation’s cricket administrators to support the Howard nomination.

”There are elements who are antagonistic towards John Howard, but ultimately the discussion by the board must ask, ‘Are we in the business of making friends and building strong relations, or are we in the business of alienating ourselves’?” Coltart said in Sydney last week. ”I hope that sense will prevail.”

Howard needs seven of the 10 available votes to become vice-president, with India the critical vote.

The Australian

By Malcolm Conn

24 June 2010

JOHN Howard was attempting to salvage his nomination for the International Cricket Council presidency.

Howard will attempt to prevent the game’s administration from sliding into chaos by meeting hostile Zimbabwe Cricket officials in Harare last night.

Howard and Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke secretly flew to Zimbabwe to meet the country’s cricket powerbrokers in the hope of circumventing an insidious backroom campaign which threatens the former prime minister’s ICC nomination.

Should ZC, and its public proxy South Africa gain enough support to oppose Howard the ICC will become deadlocked and the game paralysed just eight months away from its showpiece — the World Cup.

There is “nervousness” among officials in some countries that Howard will not get the necessary votes at the ICC’s annual meeting in Singapore next week.

ZC is opposing Howard for his trenchant criticism of president Robert Mugabe’s brutal regime during 11 years as prime minister, which included refusing the national team permission to tour the country in 2007.

One of the reasons for the trip is to assure ZC officials that, unlike Zimbabwe, there is no direct link between Australia’s government and its leading cricket body.

“Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket, with Mr Howard as their nomination, want to meet with Zimbabwean officials to discuss a range of cricketing issues obviously facing Zimbabwe cricket at the moment and also those which are particular to the upcoming ICC meeting,” a CA spokesman said yesterday.

After initial disagreement, Australia and New Zealand nominated Howard as their candidate for a two-year term as vice-president. He would then become president for a further two years.

On a five-regional rotation system used by the ICC, Howard’s nomination should have been a formality at next week’s ICC annual meeting in Singapore, but Zimbabwe began agitating behind the scenes to oppose the move and was supported by South Africa.

Crucially, all-powerful India is yet to approve the nomination despite incoming ICC president Sharad Pawar, an Indian government minister, offering his support to Howard.

Pawar is not a member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and is in danger of becoming a victim of Indian cricket politics.

He is seen to have close links with disgraced former Indian Premier League supremo Lalit Modi, who is being vigorously pursued by the BCCI and sections of the Indian government after bringing down a government minister in a questionable IPL franchise deal. Howard needs seven of the 10 so-called Test playing nations to support him at next week’s ICC annual meeting.

If India opposes him the other Asian countries, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, are likely to vote as a bloc with Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The ZC administration has such close links to Mugabe’s regime that ZC president Peter Chingoka is banned from Australia, the UK and the EU.

The annual meeting, which needs to ratify Howard’s position, is being held in Singapore instead of the traditional location of Lord’s so Chingoka can attend.

If ZC opposes Howard, CA and New Zealand Cricket will look less favourably on last week’s plea by Zimbabwe sports minister David Coltart to resume cricketing ties.

Coltart suggested Howard fly to Zimbabwe for a face-to-face meeting with his detractors while in Melbourne late last week.

“I have spoken to Zimbabwe Cricket about this. They say they have not reached a decision,” said Coltart, who has influence as sports minister but no direct links with ZC.

The Herald Sun

By Ben Dorries

24 June 2010

AUSTRALIA last night denied it had brokered a deal to support Zimbabwe’s comeback to Test cricket as a sweetener for the troubled nation not blocking former prime minister John Howard’s rise to cricket’s top job.

Howard and Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke were bunkered down with Zimbabwean cricket officials in Harare yesterday, preparing for a key International Cricket Council meeting in Singapore next week, at which delegates will vote on Howard’s nomination for the ICC presidency.

The position is rotated among five cricketing regions every two years and usually is rubber-stamped, but Howard’s nomination has been dogged by controversy.

Zimbabwe, apparently angry at his stand against the Robert Mugabe regime during Howard’s 11-year prime ministership, had threatened to block the nomination. Sri Lanka and South Africa also made it known they did not want Howard in the job.

However, last week’s visit to Australia by Zimbabwe Sports Minister Senator David Coltart, who met Cricket Australia officials in Melbourne, might have smoothed the way.

Zimbabwe is lobbying to return to Test cricket by May after voluntarily dropping out four years ago, but CA officials insist that it is not linked to the Howard issue.

“There has been a lot of speculation around but these are issues that need to be considered separately,” a CA spokesman said last night.

“We have talked with Senator Coltart about a lot of things and it makes sense we engage other countries. ”

While a tit-for-tat deal over the Howard issue might not have been struck formally, Zimbabwe has asked Australia to send an A-team or youth team to play four-day matches next year.

“One cannot exactly ask for Australia’s help if we are going to frustrate their clear intent,” Coltart said.

Howard needs seven of the 10 Test-playing nations to support him. India has not yet committed.