English umpires boycott Bulawayo

England's boycott of Zimbabwe grows by the hour. It gained two more supporters yesterday when the umpires Peter Willey and Neil Mallender declined to officiate in matches in Bulawayo for which they were scheduled.

The International Cricket Council swiftly acceded to their request to withdraw without either referring the matter to the Events Technical Committee or docking them points.

Willey was due to umpire the match between Zimbabwe and Australia next week and then be the TV umpire for the game between Zimbabwe and the Netherlands. Mallender was due to be TV umpire in the Australia fixture. Willey, generally deemed to be one of the world's best umpires, said: "I'd always said before the tournament that if England pulled out so would I and I told the ICC that. It wouldn't feel right to go, my family certainly didn't want to go there."

The ICC had little hesitation in replacing the pair. Malcolm Speed, chief executive of the ICC, said: "Both umpires had previously advised the ICC that if the ECB did not send its team to Harare they would be reluctant to fulfil their appointments in Bulawayo. Since the cancellation of the England match they have reconfirmed their decisions not to stand."

They will be replaced by a New Zealander, a Pakistani and a South African. Willey and Mallender are recognised as astute umpires. Willey could have been on the ICC élite list if he had not decided that standing up for six hours a day listening to players moaning while being away from home for long stretches was not worth it.

The withdrawals may put in doubt their further participation in the Super Six stage of the tournament, for which appointments have not been made. But the ICC spokesman Mark Harrison said: "That will be decided by performances in the earlier rounds. This will have no bearing."

How fortunate to be English at this tournament and not penalised.