ECB backs players' call for Harare switch

England's world cup match against Zimbabwe on 13 February is looking increasingly unlikely to take place in Harare following yesterday's support for the players by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The ECB stood shoulder to shoulder with Nasser Hussain's team by requesting that the fixture be switched to South Africa venue because of safety concerns. The ECB lodged the submission to the World Cup technical committee following pleas from the squad that their opening match be moved. Responsibility for switching matches passed from the International Cricket Council to the tournament organisers at the weekend.

Although Australia announced last night they are still committed to playing in Zimbabwe, it is hard to see how the England players ­ given that their governing body agrees on the threat to security ­ can be expected to travel to the country, whatever the findings of the six-man technical group. Hussain hinted at the weekend that the players would forfeit the match if the authorities do not act before Sunday's deadline.

Yesterday he eschewed the word "boycott" and said that there was still a long way to go before the issue is resolved.

"This has become more than a game of cricket in Zimbabwe. It's become a huge topic, and the situation for England and England cricketers is different to any other part of the world," he said. "That is so simply because of the amount of press it's received and the feeling we have in England about this game. Hence it should be reviewed in a different way from everyone else."

A statement from the Professional Cricketers' Association, released on behalf of the players in Australia last week, cited fears that Zimbabweans might be injured or killed during demonstrations against the match going ahead. They were influenced by public feeling at home, and a set of personally addressed letters delivered to the team's dressing-room in Sydney warning of disruptions and demonstrations.

But the ICC's executive board passed the country safe for a second time despite a subsequent security survey reporting deterioration in Zimbabwe since the first team's visit in November. That led the PCA to reiterate its request for re-scheduling ­ there is a contingency plan in place by the ICC, with Bloemfontein the likely new venue ­ hours after New Zealand refused to play in Kenya because of a "tangible threat of terrorism".

The ECB chief executive, Tim Lamb, the director of legal affairs, Mark Roper-Drimie, and Mark Gay, of Denton Wilde Sapte solicitors, are due to present the application in Cape Town tomorrow.

"There are a lot of ifs and buts, and nothing is definite at all," Hussain said. "There are so many different ways this can go. The players are going to get their heads down, play cricket and presume we are going to be playing Zimbabwe whether it be in Harare or Bloemfontein and get on with that.

"Just because this stage has happened, it's still a very delicate matter and I am sure the ICC will review it carefully."

He added: "The [technical] committee might convince them it is safe, and then there are plenty of things that could still happen with this whole situation."

The Australian Cricket Board's chief executive, James Sutherland, said last night that "at this stage" his team were committed to playing in Zimbabwe. Speaking after leading players and officials met the Australian high commissioner to Zimbabwe, Sutherland said: "The players do have some concerns about Zimbabwe, and what we are trying to do is make sure that they have as much information in front of them before they go to Zimbabwe."