Thorpe: Press ban is farcical

14 April 2012

Graham Thorpe today described Zimbabwe's decision to impose a random media ban on journalists covering England's controversial tour as "farcical".

England batsman Thorpe, who has retired from one-day internationals but says he would not have toured anyway, said players had been bullied into going.

"It's almost farcical really," said Thorpe. "If the situation wasn't so sad it would make you laugh."

There will be last-ditch attempts to call off the tour today before the players are due to fly from their warm-up base in Namibia to Zimbabwe tonight.

Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, will meet Michael Vaughan's squad to brief them when they stop over in Johannesburg to change planes.

But any hopes of abandoning the five-match tour, which is scheduled to begin on Friday, at this late stage look slim. The International Cricket Council were today lobbying Zimbabwean government officials to try to persuade them to reverse their decision to refuse entry to journalists from the Times, Sunday Times, the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, News of the World, The Sun, Mirror and the BBC. But they admit press accreditation is a matter for Robert Mugabe's disgraced regime.

Similarly the England and Wales Cricket board chairman David Morgan has said the situation is regrettable but does not constitute the 'force majeure' needed to pull out of the trip.

PCA chief executive Bevan, who formed part of the safety and security delegation which visited Zimbabwe last month before the tour was given the go-ahead, said: "The people the problems around this tour are going to hit the most are probably the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and Zimbabwe cricket.

"We're very disappointed in the decision to ban certain newspapers and broadcasters - it's unacceptable for the game of cricket.

"We'll be talking to the relevant bodies to try to reverse the decision. There are significant discussions taking place, but I'm not optimistic. For these journalists to be banned is totally unacceptable."

Morgan will arrive in Harare today determined to resolve the dispute but also insisting it would not cause the tour to be cancelled.

He said: "I'm very disappointed but I don't think it's something which will call the tour into question."

England captain Michael Vaughan added: "I think it's totally wrong - I'm flabbergasted.

"There's something very wrong if our media can't get in and cover a tour. I wouldn't pull out of the tour because of it, but I'm now in direct contact with Richard Bevan, our PCA representative, asking for advice."

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