Kenya bombing a new threat to World Cup

Plans for the World Cup will be plunged into further disarray after Thursday's terrorist outrage in Kenya. The International Cricket Council's ad hoc security delegation returned yesterday from Zimbabwe and were immediately faced with the prospect of reforming for a similar mission in another part of Africa.

Six matches, one involving England, are scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe, with two more in Kenya when the tournament begins next February. Although the vast majority of games, including the final, will be played in South Africa, the ICC hoped to spread the game as far as possible.

There were mildly positive indications that the ICC group will recommend that the group games in Harare and Bulawayo should go ahead. The delegation, which included representatives from the countries due to play there – England, Australia, Pakistan, India, Namibia and Holland – will report in 10 days. Civil unrest has been rife for two years in the wake of President Robert Mugabe's land-reform policy.

But the killing of 16 people in a suicide bombing attack in Mombasa, Kenya, has placed a further cloud over the tournament. Mombasa is on the coast 300 miles from Nairobi, where Kenya are due to play against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. New Zealand withdrew from a tour of Pakistan earlier this year after a bomb exploded opposite the team hotel in Karachi.

"Safety in Kenya is something we will have to examine," an ICC spokesman in London said yesterday. "It is too early to form any judgements but the safety of the players will be paramount as it is in Zimbabwe and if necessary we shall seek assurances." Some assurances were forthcoming from the Zimbabwean government. The ICC have received a written undertaking that all accredited journalists will be allowed in for the World Cup. Two reporters assigned to cover the security visit were refused entry last Tuesday and the ICC sought guarantees from Zimbabwe's minister for education, sport and culture, Aeneas Chigwedere.

Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the ICC, said: "Widespread coverage of the World Cup 2003 is a vital element of the tournament. The visit to Zimbabwe has been very beneficial." In that last sentence lay a sign of the way the ICC may be feeling. The group met government representatives as well as those from the Harare and Bulawayo councils which are dominated by members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the country's main opposition.

Both groups are desperate for the World Cup matches to be played because of the importance in helping to resurrect Zimbabwe's status in the rest of the world. The Zimbabwe Cricket Union have spent millions of dollars on upgrading their grounds and the ICC said they would grace a World Cup. If the ICC recommend playing, dissenting countries would be docked points and could face civil action.

Speed said: "Countries can dissent from majority opinion. If the conclusion is that it's safe to play then the country is bound to play here. There would be an issue of damages under the various contracts. I certainly hope it doesn't come to that." If the ICC recommend not playing in Zimbabwe the country's cricket authorities may need compensation simply to stay afloat. But any agreement on that would certainly cause conflict with Pakistan. Other countries have refused to tour there because of political unrest, but the ICC have refused recompense.

Tim Lamb, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board who was part of the delegation, said in Zimbabwe: "This has been an extremely useful information gathering visit. Of course, there is a potentially volatile situation. England are very keen to play here if it is at all possible." The ICC are anxious for unanimity among all six countries scheduled to play in Zimbabwe but have already made plans in case of a split. They insist safety is their sole concern and are aware that players will be subject to heavy security.

The delegation's report will be submitted to the ICC executive board who will make the final decision later in December. The position in Kenya will be discussed immediately.