Zimbabwe's cricket status is set to be discussed at next week's meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai after Cricket South Africa (CSA) suspended ties with its African neighbor on Monday. CSA acted in light of the growing political turmoil in Zimbabwe, where the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has pulled out of the presidential election in order to prevent its members being the subject of reprisal attacks by the government led by Robert Mugabe. “The ICC has never concerned itself with how member countries are governed,” ICC president-elect David Morgan, speaking at the launch of the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup here at The Oval, said Tuesday. “However, Monday Cricket South Africa announced that they were scrapping bilateral contact with Zimbabwe Cricket. “It has been decided to put Zimbabwe on the agenda of the executive board meeting of the ICC which takes place next Wednesday in Dubai.” South Africa's decision is of key significance given their longstanding support of Zimbabwe Cricket. Zimbabwe was announced as one of the 12-teams competing in next year's Twenty20 World Cup in England but its participation must now be in doubt. If it does have to be replaced a third associate or junior cricket nation would take its place. Zimbabwe, which has already suspended itself from Test cricket because of concerns about its playing standard, an action prompted by a selection race-row, could now conceivably find itself suspended from one-dayers. However, Morgan was careful in not outlining what action, if any, might be taken against ZC. That the ICC's annual meeting is taking place in Dubai rather than at Lord's is down to the refusal of the British government to grant a visa to ZC chairman Peter Chingoka. British officials have long been concerned about his alleged close ties with the Zimbabwe government of President Robert Mugabe. Britain, meanwhile, said Tuesday that Zimbabwe's planned cricket tour of England next year would be “unwelcome” given the situation in the country. The government also said it had “serious concerns” about Zimbabwe participating in the Twenty20 World Cup in England in 2009. “Under the current circumstances, it's the government's view that the tour would clearly be unwelcome,” Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman said. Brown's spokesman said British authorities were discussing the visit with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). – Agencies __
