Henry Olonga continues his fight

[madunit]

The NZ cricket Board can still state they are going to send a team, but if all players refuse to go, citing fears for their safety, then they have every right not to go. It may be the ICC and all, but they do have OH&S issues to contend with as well.

They also, as the governing body of all cricket, should be ensuring the welfare of every player.

 

[Mzilikazi]

wtf

Are Australian and English cricket both morally bankrupt? They went as well. If New Zealand doesn't go, does that make us the only cricketing nation that isn't morally bankrupt?

Thierry, that case could be argued, yes. Especially seeing as England installed Mugabe by force in the first place and Australia is supposedly responsible to uphold peace and order in the country.

However, with regard to the NZ tour, Mugabe has bulldozed 300,000 houses in the last 2 months - since the other tours you mention. I fail to see why a blind eye should be turned to such a callous act that is now harvesting life.

 

[Mzilikazi]

Have a look at this:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/news_images/highres/2005-7-13-53093782zim-2.jpg

 

[JJ]

Well if NZ are real about they should boycott the tour an refuse to pay any fines.

I'm beginning to believe you Aussies are as stupid as my country mates keep telling me!

Aust toured, and you lot weren't whinging - your bunch of toss pot heroes (admittedly great cricketers) toured and there wasn't a murmour from you lot. Stuart MacGill (clearly the most intelligent Aussie cricketer of his generation - not that he has much competition) was the only one with the moral fortitude to simply say "no"

While it's a tremendous disappointment to me that none of our players seem to have the guts or intellelect to do likewise, the fact that it's a big issue here in NZ just shows (yet again) that we lead the world in such matters - and our sportspeople are boofheads - whereas you and your sportspeople with som notable exceptions are boofheads

 

[Twizzle]

its the old addage, do sport and ploitics mix well

we boycotted RSA, but it took 20 years for RSA to gain world support again

if we have to wait 20 years for Zimbots to mend thier ways it will be too late,

if anything, its already too late

as a few of you guys have already stated, they should not even be asked to go in the first place, let alone fined if they dont go

 

[edabomb]

Well if NZ are real about they should boycott the tour an refuse to pay any fines.

If they do that they won't be playing international cricket for a good while.

You people amaze me! What if it was your child breathing their last in your arms because Mugabe had taken a slash and burn policy to your country.

Do you really think they give a fig whether the game is on down the road at Queens Oval and being watched by millions of FAT kiwis and Australians?

5 million people could die and we're arguing about TV rights???????????????

FFS, no wonder McGill found it so hard to take a principled stand.

Frankly this is utter rubbish. Cricket is not the huge money spinner in New Zealand that it is in Australia. New Zealand will struggle to pay off any fines, and the game will suffer greatly here. Especially the grass roots. This is effectively New Zealand cricket being punished for Robert Mugabes regime.

The New Zealand government should make a stand and ban all sporting contact with Zimbabwe, but if they don't do this then the tour has to go ahead for the immediate future of the game in New Zealand.

New Zealand is one of the smaller global economies, it should be up to the bigger nations to make a stand, as they can afford to pay the fine. I really don't think boycotting the tour will have much of a political influence neither, might make global news for one day and then be forgotten. South Africa went over a decade without sporting contact, and they were actually good at sports. Zimbabwe are useless at everything, so theres nowhere near as much incentive for them to play international sports.

 

[Mzilikazi]

I'm beginning to believe you Aussies are as stupid as my country mates keep telling me!

Aust toured, and you lot weren't whinging - your bunch of toss pot heroes (admittedly great cricketers) toured and there wasn't a murmour from you lot. Stuart MacGill (clearly the most intelligent Aussie cricketer of his generation - not that he has much competition) was the only one with the moral fortitude to simply say "no"

While it's a tremendous disappointment to me that none of our players seem to have the guts or intellelect to do likewise, the fact that it's a big issue here in NZ just shows (yet again) that we lead the world in such matters - and our sportspeople are boofheads - whereas you and your sportspeople with som notable exceptions are boofheads

However, with regard to the NZ tour, Mugabe has bulldozed 300,000 houses in the last 2 months - since the other tours you mention. I fail to see why a blind eye should be turned to such a callous act that is now harvesting life.

 

[Iafeta]

Hey hey, I'm not criticising the NZ players at all. I'm thinking more for their safety and for a greater cause, something to be done about the atrocities in Zimbabwe. I believe every team, Australia included, should boycott touring there, purely for their own safety.

It would also show to the Zimbabwean Government just how much the rest of the world is against their terrible actions. I know it may not have much affect on their decisions, but it would still make a point.

I don't care what country, colour, religion whatever a player is, if they were to be injured in any way or form because of what is going on over there, it would be a tragedy in the very least.

Players have a right to be concerned for their safety. The ICC is blatantly bribing the NZ cricket board and should be brought into line for doing so.

As far as player safety, just about the safest place in the world would be touring Zimbabw as an international cricketer.

Mugabe is cricket nut, controls all the army, military, police etc, he'll make sure nothing happens to the cricketers.

 

[Iafeta]

The NZ cricket Board can still state they are going to send a team, but if all players refuse to go, citing fears for their safety, then they have every right not to go. It may be the ICC and all, but they do have OH&S issues to contend with as well.

They also, as the governing body of all cricket, should be ensuring the welfare of every player.

Refer above post. There is no danger.

It is like being a white Aryian at the Berlin Olmypics of 1936, safest place in the world for you. Mugabe is a cricket carpet muncher, he will use all his power to protect them.

 

[Dakink]

What about NZ sending a team or park players as a protest stating that all professional players refuse to travel? A different sort of protest!

 

[Iafeta]

Why do that?

Its a professional association who's sole objective is success on the park. Therefore its imperative the likes of Jacob Oram, Shane Bond etc get wiened into international cricket again gently against Tatenda Taibu's wannabes.

All other associations send mostly full strength sides there but little old New Zealand has to take a stand?

 

[Mzilikazi]

I wonder how this argument would run if you all had a relative over there suffering under the current regime?

I think you would be vehemently against any tour and would be calling for it to not end there.

Agreed it's not purely sport's domain. It's only a small part, but it is a start.

Let's focus on Australia then. Rather than the current slap on the wrist policy that we're adapting how about:

1. Calling for a withdrawal of all foreign investment and business.
2. Blockading the borders and sanctions (as was done to Rhodesia for 15 years).
3. Invading the country and removing the current "evil regime" on the basis that they're using starvation and food distribution as a weapon of mass destruction (or does that only work for countries with oil reserves?).

How's that for starters?

 

[ozbash]

3. Invading the country and removing the current "evil regime" on the basis that they're using starvation and food distribution as a weapon of mass destruction (or does that only work for countries with oil reserves?).

not enough oil involved.

the sports/politics argument is one which nearly ripped nz apart not that long ago with the 81 (i think it was) springbok tour.
it saw families split down the middle and we were consumed with hatred- against each other.

it has left its legacy whenever the topic arises again and most kiwis, while they sympathise with the people of zimbabwe, are very wary of getting so involved in the race/politics/sports argument again.

 

[Mzilikazi]

1981 with flour bombs dropping out of the sky at Eden Park. A very acrimonious tour.

 

[Iafeta]

I wonder how this argument would run if you all had a relative over there suffering under the current regime?

I think you would be vehemently against any tour and would be calling for it to not end there.

Agreed it's not purely sport's domain. It's only a small part, but it is a start.

Let's focus on Australia then. Rather than the current slap on the wrist policy that we're adapting how about:

1. Calling for a withdrawal of all foreign investment and business.
2. Blockading the borders and sanctions (as was done to Rhodesia for 15 years).
3. Invading the country and removing the current "evil regime" on the basis that they're using starvation and food distribution as a weapon of mass destruction (or does that only work for countries with oil reserves?).

How's that for starters?

Look, thats all well and good, but sports is not the right forum to bring this political sham to light.

Do you think Mugabe will stop his rubbish if NZ don't send a team?

Give yourself a triple if you think it'll make one iota of difference.

This is all it is - a small country touring Zimbabwe for some games of cricket. They're not going into take WMD of him for F**** sakes.

As far as evil regimes, there are a lot of other shockers in the world - China has a poor human rights record. I bet though no country around here would cut sporting ties with it due to its powerful position.

Ozbash is quite right - New Zealand IS a pioneering country in so many ways, and in particular were severely forthright against apartheid when the Springboks toured in 1981 with the flour bombs, and the mass protests/riots. But what difference will sending/not sending New Zealand's cricketers make if the next squad due tours along? Nothing. The only way to make any difference is through the ICC. New Zealand would not have any pull in this matter, they've already gone quite dynamic and will not grant them entry into the country when they're due to tour in December, so I'd be grateful for that effort as a start.

This is sports, not politics. Its a game of cricket. It isn't going to matter. Sanctions and what not on a country that doesn't really have a large naval/air force military presence to retaliate would be the way to go. Although even then, would that work? Would Mugabe give a toss if the whites got no food imported to them?

 

[douglasallen91]

so nz cricket should go bankrupt in paying the fines.

and where do the fines go, to the head of zimbabwe cricket = robert mugabe, well thats going to hurt him isn't it.

 

[Mzilikazi]

My point all along has been - you have to start somewhere.

If the NZ Team do go the best thing they could do would be to take as large a contingent of journalists as possible and get them to report on the real situation in the country.

It's the only way foreign journalists will get in there at the moment.

 

[Mzilikazi]

Would Mugabe give a toss if the whites got no food imported to them?

There are 25,000 white people in Zimbabwe and 5 million people face starvation.

You do the maths.

It's not racial, it's tribal.

 

[douglasallen91]

If the NZ Team do go the best thing they could do would be to take as large a contingent of journalists as possible and get them to report on the real situation in the country.

It's the only way foreign journalists will get in there at the moment.

but the problem with that the zimbabwe government has turned down alot of visas from journalists wanting to follow the cricket, only the selcet few that are well know cricket supporters have been allowed and they are going to be followed very closely.

 

[Iafeta]

My point all along has been - you have to start somewhere.

If the NZ Team do go the best thing they could do would be to take as large a contingent of journalists as possible and get them to report on the real situation in the country.

It's the only way foreign journalists will get in there at the moment.

Now that is ridiculous. I have been a journalist, and there is NO way I'd do that.

You'd have to be a renegade journalist really down in the dumps hoping for some miracle story to get noticed by a big publication to even try it. The New Zealand cricket team would be safe, but if a journalist entered the country and began writing what you propose he'd be in grave danger.

No one should risk their lives in that regard. Unbelievable comment.