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Australia may resume regular cricket contact with Zimbabwe as early as next year after the federal government left the door open for Cricket Australia.
The strifetorn nation has not taken part in a bilateral series against Australia since 2004, when CA wore plenty of criticism for sending the national team to Africa for a tour amid the worst excesses of president Robert Mugabe’s regime.
Since then, federal government sanctions including the “downgrading of cultural links” have blocked Australia from playing Zimbabwe outside of ICC events.
But the regeneration of Zimbabwe cricket, helped in large part by the influence of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who control the country’s sports ministry, may soon be helped by the resumption of regular matches against Australia.
Under the ICC’s Future Tours Program, CA are due to host Zimbabwe in mid-2011, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has indicated that they would not stand in the way.
“Decisions about cricket fixtures and tours are matters for Cricket Australia to decide,” a DFAT spokesperson told AAP.
“The Australian government will continue to provide advice to Cricket Australia on security and other matters that might affect those decisions.”
Although Zimbabwe remains in a state of considerable disrepair as a nation, cricket is one area that has shown some improvement, following the return of numerous former players to the fold.
In warm-up matches for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean the team defeated both Australia and Pakistan.
Chairman of selectors Alistair Campbell has criticised opposition nations for hesitating to re-engage with Zimbabwe cricket for political reasons.
“We need to play to progress. What’s the point of not giving the Zimbabwe cricket team visas?” Campbell told the Guardian.
“Do you honestly think we live in built-up compounds with security outside and bomb barriers? Do you think we would all live there and send our kids to school there if it was a war zone?
“I mean please! Let’s be real about this. Just ask the Australian ambassador. He lives here, does he report back home that he drives in an armoured car and wears a bullet-proof vest?
“I mean, he’s out playing golf every Wednesday!”
Australian foreign affairs minister Stephen Smith has indicated that the federal government wished to encourage areas of Zimbabwe that had shown progress in the past two years.
For their part, CA have maintained tentative contact via an exchange program that has seen coaches and administrators from Zimbabwe spend time at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane and CA headquarters in Melbourne.
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