Arendse defends South Africa's policy on Zimbabwe tour

Norman Arendse, the new president of the South African board (CSA), has issued a statement clarifying his country's stance of touring Zimbabwe following media criticism inside South Africa of the current A-team trip.

"The Zimbabwe issue was debated fully, and at length, at the recent ICC AGM in London. Despite initial criticism from countries like Australia, England and New Zealand, after full debate and discussion, the Full Member countries of the ICC unanimously agreed to retain Zimbabwe as a Full Member.

"The Full Member countries also agreed that it is not for the ICC to take up any moral or political stance on any issue in any of the Full Member countries. CSA is therefore committed to fulfilling its ICC obligations, and will only not do so, if instructed by the South African government whether to play there or not."

Arendse said that the issue had also been debated at the Africa Cricket Association meeting a fortnight ago, and also at a CSA board meeting last week, and the same conclusion was reached there. "The decision to continue with the tour was unanimous," he concluded.

The issue of Zimbabwe was always going to dog Arendse and he is likely to face ongoing claims that he is hardly impartial on the issue. As a lawyer, he was retained by Zimbabwe Cricket to act against its own rebel players, led by Heath Streak, in 2004.