Australia & Zimbabwe (1 Viewer)

[Captain Gh3y]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/australia/6650701.stm

Aussies pull out of Zimbabwe tour
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has ordered the country's cricket team to pull out of a scheduled tour of Zimbabwe in September.

He said the tour would be an "enormous propaganda boost" to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, a "grubby dictator".
...

Mr Howard has long been a critic of Mr Mugabe's government but this was his strongest condemnation yet, says the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney.

"The Mugabe regime is behaving like the Gestapo towards its political opponents," Mr Howard said.

The Zimbabweans have quickly discovered the REAL reason for the cancellation...

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21723818-1702,00.html

Australia racist, says Zimbabwe

THE Zimbabwean Government today denounced as "desperate" and "racist" Australia's decision to ban its national cricket team's tour of Harare over the country's political and economic crisis.

“The Australians are mixing politics with sport and the decision shows how desperate the Howard Government is to isolate Zimbabwe,” junior information minister Bright Matonga said.

“Australia is one of the worst human rights violators in this whole world.
...

“This is also a racist ploy to kill our local cricket since our cricket team is now dominated by black players as we slowly transform cricket from being an elite sport.
...

Zimbabwe has come into the international spotlight over its deteriorating political situation after security forces two months ago beat up opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and thwarted a planned prayer rally in the capital.

You may laugh, but Zimbabwe have a pretty good position to be calling us the worst in the world.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/05/12/un.zimbabwe.ap/index.html

Zimbabwe to head key U.N. body
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Zimbabwe won approval on Friday to head a key U.N. body charged with promoting economic progress and environmental protection despite protests from the U.S., European nations and human rights organizations.
...
President Robert Mugabe, an 83-year-old who has ruled Zimbabwe since it gained independence from Britain in 1980, has been criticized by the West and domestic opponents for repression, corruption, acute food shortages and gross economic mismanagement that has driven inflation above 2,000 percent -- the highest in the world. Mugabe has acknowledged that police used violent methods against opposition supporters.

But according to 26 (to 21) UN member nations Zimbabwe is a model of good governance and sustainable development.
And according to Zimbabwe, Australia is a racist country (for banning a cricket tour) with the worst human rights record in the world.

 

[ari89]

Howard said- “The living standards in the country are probably the lowest of any in the world and you have an absolutely unbelievable rate of inflation. I have no doubt that if this tour had gone ahead, it would have been an enormous boost to this grubby dictator.”

here

Politics at its best

 

[BritneySpears]

I think it is wrong for politicians to interfere in sport. Pakistan was also ruled by dictators various times and we don't see australia refusing to tour pakistan on political grounds. I hope ICC punish australian cricket severely for this, maybe expell them for a few years.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

the ICC are just as corrupt as Mugabe anyway, they're pretty much run by subcontintental bookmakers.

 

[jimmayyy]

R-tard alert.

quoted for truth

anyone who thinks the government is wrong to do this is just plain stupid.

 

[BritneySpears]

A fine line is drawn between sport and politics and sport being used to promote one's political ideals is very Nazi. Remember 1936 Summer Olympics Berlin

 

[jimmayyy]

A fine line is drawn between sport and politics and sport being used to promote one's political ideals is very Nazi. Remember 1936 Summer Olympics Berlin

yes, because it was fittingly socialist of us to not sanction a horrific dictator like mugabe *rolls eyes*

 

[Triangulum]

I love the way that the Zimbabwean ambassador last week was going "How could you do this? Won't you think of the ZIMBABWEAN CHILDREN?". Maybe they can work on the whole thing with stopping hyperinflation and preventing political oppression, which I'm sure the children will appreciate a lot more.

 

[HotShot]

I think it is wrong for politicians to interfere in sport. Pakistan was also ruled by dictators various times and we don't see australia refusing to tour pakistan on political grounds. I hope ICC punish australian cricket severely for this, maybe expell them for a few years.

Yeah Politics should and must stay away from sport, this is why sport have thier own governing bodies - regulations and rules.

Once politics comes into - well then Sport is no longer - just look at the Indian cricket team or what it used to be. All it was - if you wanted to be in the team you just need to have connections in the Parliament and good money you will be slotted in (Ganguly).
Its the primary reason that India is so shit.

What should be happening is the ICC should have banned Zimbabwe - got rid of its test Status and got rid of the cricket team.

 

[the pospinator]

yeh, on ya Howard mate, good decision

as if touring zimbabwe is the right decision, i laugh at the thought:rofl:

i'd say that it is a risk to the well being of the players by sending them over there, so it would be wrong of the govt if they didn't cancel

and who cares anyway, the tour would've been bogus if it went ahead anyway:

1. no one would care simply because its australia vs zimbabwe,and we already noe the result, there goes the fun in watching

2. hello, its like middle of the night

3. when australia toured new zealnad right b4 the world cup, no one really cared (and that was aus vs nz - 2 of the best teams in the world), so what makes u think that aus vs zimbabwe is going to interest viewers

 

[Atilla89]

I am really glad that they boycotted Zimbabwe. That country is under a brutal dictatorship. Not sure if anyone read in the SMH about the Zimbabwe priest who was speaking out against the regime but it was very good. So in other words, good decision Howard.

 

[BritneySpears]

yes, because it was fittingly socialist of us to not sanction a horrific dictator like mugabe *rolls eyes*

Well there are worse dictators such as North Korea's Kim jong Il and there was no such issue of ruthless dictators, human rights etc during the football match between North Korea and Australia at last years Asian Cup right here in Australian soil. :burn:

 

[Captain Gh3y]

Zimbabwe's government has accused Australia of funding violence in an attempt to remove President Robert Mugabe from power.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6665885.stm

 

[the pospinator]

Well there are worse dictators such as North Korea's Kim jong Il and there was no such issue of ruthless dictators, human rights etc during the football match between North Korea and Australia at last years Asian Cup right here in Australian soil. :burn:

i think the issue needs to be brought back to the fact that sending players over to Zimbabwe is a risk to their well being. In the case of ur example, australian players in australia are not at risk, and neither are the koreans, seeing as Australia is a very stable country

 

[Serius]

I think it is wrong for politicians to interfere in sport. Pakistan was also ruled by dictators various times and we don't see australia refusing to tour pakistan on political grounds. I hope ICC punish australian cricket severely for this, maybe expell them for a few years.

South Africa. Apartheid. That is all.

 

[HotShot]

I am really glad that they boycotted Zimbabwe. That country is under a brutal dictatorship. Not sure if anyone read in the SMH about the Zimbabwe priest who was speaking out against the regime but it was very good. So in other words, good decision Howard.

You do realise the ban only relates to SPORT and Cricket in particular? Business dealings with country go on as before. Why isnt there a ban on that too?

 

[the pospinator]

You do realise the ban only relates to SPORT and Cricket in particular? Business dealings with country go on as before. Why isnt there a ban on that too?

maybe the business people don't have issues with it

govt banned the cricketers because they knew that some of the players had issues with going over there, perhaps the business people don't care, prolly all they care about is getting their money which is not surprising

 

[Lorie]

By not allowing the cricketers to participate in Zimbabwe, the government has taken a stance against Robert Mugabe which reflects the what the country believes about his regime. However, is this honestly enough? Sure it makes some great headlines about the governments strong stance against Robert Mugabe, but the companies operating over there make more of a financial impact then the cricketers would.

Many big mining companies such as Rio Tinto and BHP are operating in Zimbabwe. they are making huge profits on their soil and in most cases exporting these materials overseas. There are agreements with the Zimbabwe governement to pay taxes and various things, so that in fact funds Robert Mugabe's brutal regime. These businesses are and will be making far more money than the cricketers will generate, so why hasn't the Australian government reacted to this??

 

[Captain Gh3y]

Because John Howard is secretly a conflict diamond mogul

NO BLOOD FOR DIAMONDS!

 

[BritneySpears]

i think the issue needs to be brought back to the fact that sending players over to Zimbabwe is a risk to their well being. In the case of ur example, australian players in australia are not at risk, and neither are the koreans, seeing as Australia is a very stable country

There was no incident to warrant it is a risky place for players in zimbabwe. There was no such bombings or muder of foreigner while in Pakistan foreigners especially whites are targeted with daily suicide bombings yet australia toured pakistan many times.