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By Julian Linden
SYDNEY, April 21 - Australia leg-spinner Stuart
MacGill has refused to take part in next month's tour of
Zimbabwe.
MacGill told Australia's selectors he was unavailable for
the tour starting on May 17 because he "did not believe he could
tour Zimbabwe and maintain a clear conscience."
"I have given this a lot of thought over a long period of
time, and personally do not believe the situation in Zimbabwe is
such that I can tour at this stage," he said in a statement.
Australia Prime Minister John Howard, who was chairman of a
three-nation committee that suspended Zimbabwe from the
Commonwealth in 2002, praised MacGill.
"I always admire somebody who in his own way, for his own
reasons forms a conscientious objection on something...I
congratulate him for the strength of his character," Howard
said.
Australian Cricket officials said they understood MacGill's
objections and would not force him to tour or banish him from
future selection.
"He's uncomfortable with the political regime in that
country," chief executive James Sutherland told a news
conference. "He is uncomfortable with issues around the
sufferance of the Zimbabwean people."
Sutherland said a number of other players had privately
expressed their reservations about going to Zimbabwe but had
agreed the tour should proceed.
"We all understand the difficulty and complexity of the
issue, but Cricket Australia, the player group and the ACA
(Australian Cricketers Association) have agreed that, on
balance, playing Zimbabwe cricketers in Zimbabwe is appropriate
for the continued development of cricket as a global sport,"
Sutherland said.
Fast bowler Jason Gillespie said he saw nothing wrong with
touring.
"I don't see how Australia going over to Zimbabwe will be
seen as endorsing what's going on...in Zimbabwe," he said.
CRICKETING CRISIS
MacGill's decision is sure to add fuel to the escalating
crisis in Zimbabwe cricket. Fifteen rebel white players are in
dispute with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), which began when
former captain Heath Streak questioned the composition of the
selection panel.
The selectors named a weakened side for their series with
Sri Lanka, which started on Tuesday, raising fears of a horrible
mismatch when they play world champions Australia.
Several teams, including Australia, have been under intense
political pressure to boycott Zimbabwe as world leaders express
serious concerns about president Robert Mugabe's government.
Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer added to the
pressure on Wednesday by calling on the International Cricket
Council (ICC) to act.
"If the Zimbabweans are going to persist in choosing cricket
teams on the basis of the race of the players, then that's a
matter that the International Cricket Council should focus on,
because, after all, this was an enormous issue in the 60s and
70s with South Africa," he said.
The ICC has threatened international suspension and a