Morgan puts unity of 'family' before Zimbabwe boycott

The prospect of a split in world cricket emerged yesterday if England withdraw from their World Cup match in Zimbabwe. David Morgan, the new chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, addressed for the first time an issue that everybody has suspected but nobody has dared mention.

"It would be very simple for England to take the moral high ground and forfeit two points and not fulfil their commitment," he said. "What would it do for cricket and the family of cricket? A great deal of damage, a huge amount of damage.

"If England alone fail to meet its commitment then England alone would be damaging the unity of the family of cricket. That is a fact. Two World Cup points are insignificant in the totality. I think there would be a major divide between the Test playing countries if England and Australia or England alone do not go to Zimbabwe."

But Morgan also said that the ECB would be sympathetic to any England player who refused to go to Zimbabwe for moral reasons. He declined to be specific about the nature of the divide, but he certainly had in mind a dispute along racial lines, which is often in the background of world cricket.

If England fail to show up in Zimbabwe because of political pressure, they could be refused future fixtures against the likes of India, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. "That would be one aspect of it," said Morgan.

The effects on the game worldwide would be catastrophic, both for cricket's development and its finances. Zimbabwe's government has already made noises about racial overtones if England withdraw.

Morgan, who was speaking in Tasmania where he is attending the VB Series match in which England are involved, said he would be speaking to the England captain Nasser Hussain and the coach Duncan Fletcher early next week.

He left nobody in any doubt that England are still determined to play the fixture, one of six pool matches, although a final decision will be made by the ECB's management board next week.

"Subject to the deliberations of the management board and there being no deterioration in safety and security I think there is no doubt that the commitment to the Cricket World Cup in Zimbabwe should be fulfilled by England," Morgan said.

"If England fail to meet their commitment then even a game will be damaging to unity. That is not a comment on England being right and the other five countries being wrong."

Morgan shares the board's perplexity about the government's hard-line, albeit advisory, stance when it has proposed no trading sanctions. He asked why cricket alone should be prevented from trading.

If England boycott Zimbabwe they face compensation payments to the International Cricket Council that could easily surpass £1 million. The ECB have come in for some criticism for putting money before morals but Morgan said: "It will immediately impact on the grassroots, but throughout I've tried to concentrate on the importance of keeping cricket united rather than the pound sterling sign."

Malcolm Gray, the president of the ICC who is also in Hobart, said the details of how exactly England would avoid coming into contact with President Robert Mugabe or his representatives have still to be worked out.

He conceded that there was a political issue but reiterated that the his body was interested only in safety and security. "In a way the safety and security issue is easier than the political issue," he said. "If something occurs whereby the safety and security issue overtakes the political issue it maybe solves the problem, yes. But that doesn't mean we in any way, shape or form would want to alter our position."

Gray also feels it will be the best World Cup there had been. "It will be fantastic, it's going to be more than just a cricket tournament. It will be wonderful for Africa despite the problems."

Hussain said he had told all his team to gather as much information about Zimbabwe. "But in general they're all looking for guidance from better people on this subject. For example, we've got a lad called [James] Anderson from Burnley. He's never been to Zimbabwe, how can he make a decision on what's happening out there when people in government aren't making a decisions. It's an undue pressure to place on a young lad. As England captain possibly I should be."