Des Wilson resignes

[Whips_off_the_bails]

Let's get one thing clear: to argue that sport and politics should not mix, as though sport took place in some kind of alternative universe in which the ordinary codes and behaviour of human society do not exist is, was, and always will be hopelessly mistaken.

[Richard Jenkins]

I dont want to fall out with anyone on this one, so i'll leave it there on this one.my opinion is it's a tour too far, but hey that's just my opinion. What do I know?
diddly squat.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Sports and politics should not mix, but they do. I feel as an englsih cricket supporter that our sport in this country is under threat. Now the aussies are going "to help save zimbabwe cricket", which is a weak reason at best. I'm saying we should go to protect cricket in our country.

[darren cook]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

By definition, then Darren, the aussies are evil, the Sri lankans are evil and the saffers are really evil as they were the first to put pressure on and threaten to pull out of their tour after the world cup.

Well Richie Evil is probably slightly over the top. But if completely ignoring the fact that Mugabe is killing and starving his own people purely for monitory gain isn't really showing the cricket boards in a great light is it.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Exactly Darren, the cricket boardS. We should go and at every oppotunity state that we are only going because of the ICC bully boys.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Richard Jenkins

I dont want to fall out with anyone on this one, so i'll leave it there on this one.my opinion is it's a tour too far, but hey that's just my opinion. What do I know?
diddly squat.

England more than any other cricketing nation cannot at this time tour Zimbabwe,Mr Mugabe cant stand the British,he lives in the past.
How could the England players shake hands with the Prime minister of Zimbabwe,a hand shake implies mutual friendship.or respect,both are lacking.

The ECB should stand up to the ICC,and the British government,never shy at recomending we should not play Zimbabwe,should put there hands in there pocket and compensate the ECB fully for any financial penalties they will recieve.,it is not just a sporting issue,it involves the nation as a whole.
Yes I do feel sorry for the Zimbabwe cricketers ,how could one not do so.

[Essex Eagle]

The ECB should do this, the ECB should do that....

Frankly they will be damned if they do and damned if they dont.

The ECB's duty is to ensure English Crickets survival..... hence why they must tour Zimbabwe.

The British Government have left them up Sh*t creek without a paddle.

It rankles with me that as soon as they announce the tour is on, Blair and co will denounce them ( at the same time as british companies continue to trade there)

As for the ICC, well that organisation is full of people who just love a bit of pommie bashing for the sake of it .

I for one hope we tour, all hell breaks loose & several people are shot dead........ then i want to hear what the ICC have to say.

[darren cook]

Originally Posted by Essex Eagle

The ECB should do this, the ECB should do that....

Frankly they will be damned if they do and damned if they dont.

The ECB's duty is to ensure English Crickets survival..... hence why they must tour Zimbabwe.

The British Government have left them up Sh*t creek without a paddle.

It rankles with me that as soon as they announce the tour is on, Blair and co will denounce them ( at the same time as british companies continue to trade there)

As for the ICC, well that organisation is full of people who just love a bit of pommie bashing for the sake of it .

I for one hope we tour, all hell breaks loose & several people are shot dead........ then i want to hear what the ICC have to say.

The problem with the ECB is the fact the are a bunch of gutless W#####S. Yes they are backed into a corner but thet don't help them selves do they . Do you really think they have anyones best interests at heart except them selves .

[Essex Eagle]

If i was head of the ECB i would make sure my main priority was the ECB

what man in power at the ECB will say lets not tour zimbabwe and bankrupt ourselves?

They wouldnt be doing their job in my opinion

[Scott-Wozniak]

Originally Posted by Whips_off_the_bails

"If the ICC suspends Australia for taking a moral stand, then the ICC is not worth playing under." Replace 'Australia' with 'England' and the sentence still stands. Let's pull out, cancel all future tours and renegotiate them on a one-to-one basis.

Clive

I tend to agree with you on this one.

It's clear the ICC are not doing their job in protecting the interests of the Countries they're meant to represent. Rather than Countries take an individual stance against the ICC, in my opinion it would be far better if all of the more powerful Test playing Countries take a unified stand against the ICC and effectively change the management board that actually sets their policys. It's a bit like shareholders of any publicly owned company getting together to change the Management Team that actually run the Company, if they're not happy about the direction the company is going in - they can change it, but only if they get together en masse and are unified in the changes they want to make.

The fact is - Cricket has a governing body, but that governing body is only there to represent the interests of the Countries it represents, if that governing body is starting to become too autonomous and draconian in their policies its up to the Countries to change it.

Scott