London, Jan 21: England are set to cancel their cricket tour of Zimbabwe "on moral grounds" according to a front-page article in Wednesday's edition of a newspaper. It said a report compiled by a senior England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) official formed the basis for the decision, due to be taken at a board meeting next week, to cancel the October-November tour "on moral rather than security grounds."
This follows concerns about the regime of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who, as well as being blamed for the African country's food crisis, has also been accused of human rights abuses and electoral fraud.
In December, Mugabe withdrew his country from the Commonwealth after the country's suspension was backed for another year.
ECB corporate affairs chairman Des Wilson's report, already circulated to all 15 full board members, said, "Can we tour this country knowing what we do about its stance on human rights and the suffering of its people?"
He concluded, "The safety and security of a touring party can in today's circumstances no longer be the only factor in deciding whether or not to proceed with a controversial tour."
Safety and security has been the sole guiding principle of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in deciding whether controversial matches should go ahead.
It was this test they applied at last year's World Cup where in the run-up to their scheduled February 13 match in Harare, the Zimbabwe capital, England came under pressure from British politicians to call off the fixture. Bureau Report