Sponsors put pressure on England not to tour Zimbabwe

The subject of whether to play cricket in Zimbabwe - something which has haunted English cricket for more than a year - has been brought back to the front stage again with the news that Vodafone, the England & Wales Cricket Board's biggest sponsor, might withdraw their support if next winter's scheduled tour goes ahead. Vodafone currently inject around £4million each year into English cricket.

In an interview with the London-based Guardian newspaper, Lord MacLaurin, who was the ECB chairman until last year and is now the chairman of Vodafone, gave an unambiguous warning: "We do not want to support a side that goes and plays in a country with the sort of regime that is reviled not just by this company but by many in the country. To do so would be abhorrent and would be good for the brand image neither of Vodafone nor England cricket."

During the will-they, won't-they hiatus that preceded England's eventual decision to boycott their World Cup match against Zimbabwe in Harare, Vodafone's position was clear: Play the match but donate appearance money to humanitarian charities inside Zimbabwe. But now their stance has shifted to one of staying away.

"We have told the ECB that we would rather the team did not go to Zimbabwe," MacLaurin explained. "We believe in the cold light of day, and having had the experience of the World Cup, that it would be inappropriate for the tour to take place and as major sponsors we would certainly urge them to withdraw."

Tim Lamb, the ECB's chief executive, said that Vodafone's concerns would be considered by his board and that the tour itself is already under constant review. "Of course we have concerns too and have expressed them," he told the Guardian. "It is a regular item of discussion at meetings that deal with England matters. We are very mindful of the issues that arose before the World Cup, and we will need to give serious consideration to concerns expressed by our sponsors. There has been no suggestion that Vodafone would pull the plug although we fully understand their image concerns."

Vodafone's stance was welcomed by Zimbabwe's former fast bowler Henry Olonga, whose black-armband protest against Mugabe's regime forced him into exile after the World Cup. "It would be wrong for any country to go touring in Zimbabwe at the moment," he said. "The situation has not improved. The common citizens are living in abject poverty."

Olonga added: "The English and Australian governments - and the United States - have been very up-front and vocal in their disapproval of the regime in Zimbabwe. But I think more can be done. Opportunities like this are absolutely perfect to illustrate how strongly those governments feel."

Wisden Comment by Martin Williamson
English cricket came out of the World Cup botch-up looking indecisive - to some, they were lacking morals, to others, lacking firm leadership. The relationship between the players and those in charge was damaged, while the financial cost has not yet been quantified but could run into millions.

Lord MacLaurin's remarks put pressure on the ECB to consider Zimbabwe again - the situation there under Robert Mugabe continues to deteriorate, and there is no sign that any solution is likely in the short term. This time the ECB has to be firm. In the World Cup England stood alone, and the boycott was made while other teams travelled to Zimbabwe to take part in a global event which even Mugabe couldn't afford to disrupt. In 2004-05 England will be the sole visitors. Mugabe's loathing of Britain is well-documented, and if he is still in power then the situation in his country will, tragically, be even more desperate. The safety of players, officials and supporters will be a fundamental issue, whereas before it was an excuse.

The ECB has time. It can monitor the situation - and probably send more highly paid security experts to compile weighty reports on the situation - but at some point it has to be decisive and make a stand ... one that is not widely perceived to be based on financial considerations.

MacLaurin's comments were made because going to Zimbabwe would be bad for the Vodafone brand. The same thinking needs to apply to the brand that is English cricket.