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Cricket team urged to boycott the World Cup

Marie Woolf Chief Political Correspondent
Wednesday 18 December 2002 01:00 GMT
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The Foreign Office minister told MPs yesterday that the England cricket team should not participate in the World Cup to be hosted jointly by South Africa and Zimbabwe next year.

Mike O'Brien's statement to the House of Commons followed calls for a boycott from Zimbabwe's main opposition party and from the Tories in protest at oppression by President Robert Mugabe's regime.

Mr O'Brien stressed the need for caution when importing politics into sport but said Britain's cricketers could not ignore the Mugabe regime's human rights violations.

He said the Government would not issue orders to the England Cricket Board or International Cricket Council (ICC), but he told MPs: "It would be better if they did not go. That decision should be taken in the light of what is happening in Zimbabwe and in recognition of the fact that the situation – political, economic and humanitarian – could deteriorate in the next few months."

Gareth Thomas, Labour MP for Harrow West, backed Mr O'Brien and said the England team should refuse to play in all games scheduled for Zimbabwe.

Michael Ancram, the shadow Foreign Secretary, said Mr Mugabe would use the World Cup to "parade himself as a great leader on the international stage", and he called on the ICC to remove Zimbabwe as co-hosts.

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