Test series is cancelled

Australia's two-Test series in Zimbabwe has been cancelled, after Cricket Australia accepted the Zimbabwe Cricket Union's offer to call it off. The two teams will still play the scheduled three one-day internationals that were supposed to follow the cancelled Tests.

The ZCU made the move when it became clear that the ICC's emergency meeting, which had been scheduled for later today, was likely to strip the matches of Test status anyway. Seven of the ten Test-playing countries needed to vote in favour of the proposal, and, according to the London Daily Telegraph, "at least seven of those votes are in the bag, with New Zealand and South Africa the most likely to side with the Zimbabweans". The Australian players who were only required for the Test part of the tour will return home today.

Peter Chingoka, the ZCU chairman, explained: "The decision is a one-off agreement with Cricket Australia which recognises the exceptional circumstances that prevail at present. We fully intend to fulfil the rest of our international playing commitments for the rest of the year and in the longer term."

Chingoka added that the teams would now play three one-day internationals, all in Harare. He apologised to anyone inconvenienced by the changes, expecially those in Bulawayo who would now not see the Australians: "Given the time-frame we are working in, under the revised schedule, and the logistics of moving the two teams and ancillary services such as TV production equipment and crew to Bulawayo, we regret that we are unable to stage a match at Queen's Sports Club this time," said Chingoka, adding: "We will definitely make it up for our Bulawayo fans and the cricket fraternity when England tours Zimbabwe in November this year."

Although the official line was that the Tests had been "deferred", James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive, quickly pointed out that they had "informed the ZCU that the Australian team is heavily committed over the next four years, and it is extremely unlikely that we will be able to play the two Test matches within this time-frame". But Sutherland welcomed the cancellation decision, saying his board had always maintained that international cricket was about the best teams playing each other, a situation that was not likely to occur in the Test series.

Ehsan Mani, ICC's president, also welcomed the decision, saying it was good that the integrity of Test cricket had been preserved without having to force the issue within the ICC. "I am pleased that the ZCU and Cricket Australia have agreed to postpone these two matches to a date yet to be fixed. This course of action was first suggested by the ICC two weeks ago and protects the integrity of Test cricket," he said. "Over recent days all ICC full members have worked hard behind the scenes to help find a resolution, and their work is appreciated. The ZCU has now revisited the proposal to postpone this series and this decision will be positively received throughout the international cricket family."

The ICC stressed that this decision applies only to the two Tests against Australia, and that the issues relating to this situation will be discussed in detail at the ICC meetings in London at the end of June.

John Howard, the Australian prime minister, told ABC Radio that the decision to cancel the Tests was understandable, and that it was now up to the ICC to determine what happens. "All I can say is that Australian cricket fans want Australian teams to play the best teams from other countries," he said, "and they don't want any of those teams selected on the basis of race."

Although today's emergency ICC telephone conference has now been cancelled, the ZCU may only be delaying the inevitable. Hopes that meaningful discussions could now take place with the remaining 14 disaffected players, whose objections to the ZCU's policies sparked the current crisis, have been dashed by the news that the players have been sacked - again - and asked to hand in their cars and mobile phones. Their lawyer Chris Venturas was apparently notified of the decision by Alwyn Pichanick, the ZCU's lawyer.

So the three one-dayers will be played after all - rearranged for May 25, 27 and 29, all in Harare - but, in the absence of the rebel players, it's unlikely that Zimbabwe will be able to make any impression on the World Cup champions.

Wisden Comment by Steven Lynch
So what happens now? The immediate danger to Zimbabwe's Test status has been headed off at the pass, but the problem remains: without the rebel players, who have been unceremoniously sacked again, Zimbabwe have a club side, not a Test one. The integrity of Test cricket has been maintained, for now. But why is it all right to play a limited-overs series under the same circumstances? Isn't there any integrity in one-day international cricket? James Sutherland of Cricket Australia emphasised his board's belief that international cricket was about the best teams playing each other, a situation that was not likely to occur in the Test series ... well, it isn't going to occur in the one-day series either, which will be as much of a mismatch as the Tests would have been, although the margins of victory/defeat probably won't be quite so embarrassing. Unless there's a climbdown by the board or the players - and both sides seem so entrenched that that appears to be about as likely as Chris Cairns quietly playing out a maiden over - there is no prospect of Zimbabwe fielding a competitive international side in the near future. That ICC meeting will happen sooner rather than later.