Talks over Zimbabwe tour

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) are going into talks with the government on whether to send their team to Zimbabwe on a three-match ODI tour.

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WELLINGTON // New Zealand Cricket (NZC) are going into talks with the government on whether to send their team to Zimbabwe on a three-match ODI tour. The Black Caps' proposed tour of the troubled African nation in July - under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) programme - has already been condemned by the country's prime minister, who believes the visit would neither be safe nor healthy for the players.

Prime Minister John Key said that and moral objections were reasons not to tour. "There are security risks for our players, there is the risk of cholera and we don't support that [Robert Mugabe] regime and we've made that clear," Key said yesterday. NZC could face an ICC-imposed fine if they opted against touring - unless ordered by the government - and want to meet the government on the issue. "We'll look to understand the government's position, also the ICC task force are reporting back on Zimbabwe to the ICC conference [in June]," the NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said.

* Reuters