Possible way out - Zimbabwe ban cricket journalists

[flanflinger]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...nd/4036335.stm

Originally Posted by BBC

Zimbabwe ban cricket journalists

The BBC and a number of national newspapers have been denied entry to Zimbabwe to cover England's forthcoming cricket tour.

The Zimbabwe government has denied access to the Times, Telegraph, Sun, Mirror and their Sunday versions. A five-match one-day series is due to start on Friday - England are currently in Namibia.

The decision could put the whole tour in jeopardy as international cricket rules require media access for all.

[Occasional Fan]

Just heard this on BBCWS, with the additional comment that the press applied for visas through the ECB and ZC some two months ago. The applications were turned down today. Jonathan Agnew comments that in his view the ECB now has no option but to withdraw. He may have a point, but he did not comment on the role of the ICC, whose own rules require that press access be granted. Surely the ICC should now scrap this fiasco. Curiously, however, the ICC's spokesman says "In some ways it depends on the bilateral agreement between Zimbabwe Cricket and the ECB - which is outside the ICC." Not for the first time, I wonder what the ICC is actually for.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

The fiends have banned Aggers ! This is reason for a nuclear strike let alone calling the "cricket" series. I can see the reasoning of not letting John Simpson or the like who WILL (rightly) poke around and look for human rights abuses etc, but Aggers, Blowers and co will just comment on the appearance of the local buses and pigeon population.

Seriously though, if handled right, this could be the way out the ECB need......


...looks like we'll be playing in Zimbabwe then.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

...looks like we'll be playing in Zimbabwe then.

Too right, this may be the best way of aborting this tour, you can guarnantee that Morgan will mess it up...

[Ernest]

I doubt the ECB will have the guts to make this Zimbabwe move go for them, did you see the non commital answer from the ECB, I wonder if the ECB really want to go or not.

Time for tough action, Zimbabwe no how weak we are, they are just trying to humiliate us, only one answer just fly home, don't pay any fines, and any team that don't want to play us, tell them to B***** off as well, teams will not be forming a line not to play us.

Ern

[flanflinger]

well just heard on the BBC24.. Morgan says it will go ahead!!

Knew it..

The man's a fool, he had the reason handed to him on a plate...

[Occasional Fan]

I wonder how many members of the press corps he talked to before making his mind up? Look for a few more calls for his head in tomorrow's papers. Can't think there will be many volunteers to go looking for it, mind: where he has it the sun doesn't shine. No surprises, of course, but one of Richie Benaud's comments comes to mind: "What a fiasco."

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

"What a fiasco."

I think that could easily apply to all aspects of Morgan's "Leadership"

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Andrew Walpole, the England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman travelling with the England team

This is an evolving situation. We have already taken this up with the International Cricket Council at the highest level. There are going to be intensive discussions in the next 24 hours.

I like the way dicsussions are still going ahead and yet Morgan has alreday concluded that the tour will go ahead.

[Occasional Fan]

Presumably the only matter under discussion is whether or not the barred journalists will eventually be allowed in. To be honest, I have some misgivings about that anyway. I'd actually be quite happy if Aggers (for example) would say "OK, Mr President, I'll come, but only if you let me bring my colleague, Mr Simpson, as well. He knows sod all about cricket, so, if you don't mind, he'll just spend the week chatting to people around the country about other things."

I know these guys who have been barred are cricket correspondents, but they're all (probably) fully paid up members of the National Union of Journalists. So I'd also be quite happy if they had a look over the fence at the cricket grounds to see if they can find more interesting things to report outside the grounds than inside them. I think some of these journalists are honourable blokes, and they probably would have tried to do this - which is why they have been barred.