Sunday, August 17, 2008

Chingoka flies to Dubai for ICC talks

Peter Chingoka, Zimbabwe Cricket's chairman, will travel to Dubai for talks with David Morgan, the ICC president, after the Zimbabwe board failed to endorse Chingoka's offer that his country would stay away from ICC centenary celebrations in England next summer and the ICC World Twenty20 which follows.

Last month, Chingoka told the ICC executive that Zimbabwe would withdraw from the events so as not to force a stand-off in the likely scenario that the British government refused him and his players entry to the country. At the time, it was hailed as a breakthrough which would allow the two events to proceed without the threat of a Zimbabwe ban overshadowing them.

However, Cricinfo has learned that the ZC board failed to give Chingoka its backing, and after several meetings he has been instructed to go back to the ICC to clarify a number of issues.

Chingoka will travel to Dubai with Tavengwa Mukuhlani, ZC's vice chairman, and Wilson Manase. It is expected he will meet Morgan as well as Sharad Pawar, the vice-president, and Haroon Lorgat, the ICC's chief executive.

If the ZC contingent fails to get answers to appease their own board then the whole issue of Zimbabwe visiting England in 2009 is likely to resurface. Since the ICC meeting Chingoka has been added to the European Union list of Zimbabweans banned from entering the EU because of their links to the Mugabe regime.