ECB severes ties with Zimbabwe cricket

“We want to insure that Zimbabwe does not tour England next year,” Brown was quoted as saying by the BBC Sport.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham conveyed Brown’s message in a letter to the ECB, which put sanction on Zimbabwe Cricket with the immediate effect.

“All bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect,” said the ECB.

“We will call on other countries to join us in banning Zimbabwe,” it added.

Zimbabwe is due to play two Tests and three one-dayers in England in 2009, as well as the World Twenty20 in June.

The ECB’s decision came a day after Cricket South Africa – traditionally one of Zimbabwe’s supporters in cricket – to severe its bilateral ties on Tuesday in the wake of the country’s deepening political and economic turmoil.

The British government had been involved in discussions with the ECB over the situation in Zimbabwe for the past 18 months. But the withdrawal of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai from the second round of Zimbabwe’s general election and reports of social unrest under Robert Mugabe’s regime appear to have spurred the British government into action, the BBC reported.

However, Zimbabwe still has the right to play international tournaments, until it is suspended from the ICC next week.

“The ECB deplores the position in Zimbabwe and, like Cricket South Africa, finds this untenable. Therefore all bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect,” said the ECB in a statement.

“The ECB welcome the government’s decision and share the government’s concerns about the deteriorating situation and lack of human rights in Zimbabwe.”

England batsman Andrew Strauss recently said that his team-mates would consider boycotting matches against Zimbabwe if Mugabe stayed on as president.