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Government 'considering' banning Zimbabwean athletes

04/03/2008

Zimbabwean sports people could be prevented from competing in the UK under new government plans, it has been reported.

According to the BBC's Inside Sport magazine programme, the government are considering a ban as a means to preventing the Zimbabwe cricket team from touring England in 2009.

The programme cited "Downing Street sources" as saying the prime minister was keen to take a tough stance against the regime of Robert Mugabe.

With spiralling inflation across the poverty-stricken African nation, Gordon Brown is expected wait until Zimbabwean elections at the end of March before making a decision regarding his stance towards president Mugabe.

A blanket ban would see Zimbabwean sportsmen such as Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari and golfer Nick Price prevented from competing on British shores, though it is thought a more likely compromise is a ban on Zimbabwe's cricketers.

Such a move would be likely to anger the International Cricket Council (ICC) which has refused to ban Zimbabwe despite frequent protests regarding the human rights abuses and touring bans from the Australian and New Zealand cricket authorities.

A spokesman for the Department of Culture Media and Sport said: "There are ongoing discussions between the government and the England and Wales Cricket Board, but no decisions have been made."

A Zimbabwean tour of England would not send out "the right message", said foreign secretary David Miliband last month.

"The situation in Zimbabwe is obviously deeply concerning. I think that bilateral cricket tours at the moment don't send the right message about our concern," he said.