There is a solution for Zimbabwe
June 28th, 2005 at 8:16 am by David FarrarIf I was even more cynical than I am, I would suspect the Government doesn’t actually want to stop the cricket tour to Zimbabwe, it just wants to be able to keep banging on in public about how it is going to try and do something.
Now I am very much against the Government forbidding any private organisation from travelling overseas and playing sport.
However if it is the case they NZ Cricket really do not want to go, and the only reason they won’t cancel is the $2.8 million fine, then the Government could of course simply agree to pay the fine. I mean they managed to find $500 million out of the blue just last week.
The solution is in Clark’s hands. But then, that would remove the ability to keep talking about the issue for weeks on end.
No tag for this post.
June 28th, 2005 at 8:22 am
Yes, I wrote to one of my contacts in Labour the other day suggesting exactly the same thing. I even offered to kick in $100 if asked. So glaringly obvious that if they don’t do it they will lose another 10,000 party votes from people who can actually see though their baloney.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 8:48 am
I admit ignorance on my 80s history, but how is this different to the aborted tour of SA by the ABs in ’85?
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 8:52 am
David, the US$2m fine is the starting point. There will then be claims for lost TV and sponsorship rights and most seriously – something that the Government has either missed or is wilfully ignoring – NZ faces being cut adrift (ironic given the fact that the ICC won’t get rid of Zimbabwe). Simply put the ICC could take NZ out of the agreed tours programme and we would end up playing next to nobody. That is a little more serious than the fines.
You need to understand ICC politics before wading into this one. The power base has shifted away from England, NZ and Australia to the Asian bloc – with South Africa and the WIndies supporting this bloc. There is no mood to start playing politics amongst the likes of South Africa, India and Pakistan – particularly when it comes to Zimbabwe.
I can’t see the ICC greeting Clark’s election year stunt with any great enthusiasm.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 9:07 am
If I was more cynical than I am I’d suspect that David would be critical of whatever Labour did on this issue.
I think Labour is dong a good job of walking a fine line between interfering in the cricketers’ right to travel and sending a clear message that it would prefer the tour not to go ahead.
But my essential reaction is that too many people are trying to portray this as a rerun of the anti-apartheid sports boycott when it’s a different situation. A bit too much righteous indignation for my liking.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 9:08 am
re the money..as john campbell pointed out last night the players will lose about 40 grand each..and those calling for them to make a grand gesture should reflect on what international political issue would inspire them to flush forty grand down the gurgler..
re the timing..dpf..of course clark will play it out to her advantage..if you were advising her you would counsel so..
if she moves too soon, she stands accused of a knee-jerk reaction…but if goff is seen to be working the international stage as best as possible, and then they are still going..well then will be the perfect time for her to make the required states-person like gesture..that’s what you would advise..eh dpf..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 9:33 am
Thru clenched teeth I have to agree with the governments approach Ive written to the President of the ICC one Ehsan Mani saying the usual things.Small gesture but got to try Given Mugabe is the Patron of Zimbabwae Cricket its going to be difficult for the Black Caps to avoid him He will be looking for every photo op.Best chance is the way Goffs playing this
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 9:36 am
Perhaps a simple way out might be for NZ Cricket’s security consultants to report that there is a problem. On the matter of players remuneration the Gummint should simply underwrite the players as well.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 10:13 am
The players could all make themselves unavailable which would lead NZC with no team to select. That way they shouldn’t be fined by the ICC. 15 x $40,000 is cheaper than $2.8 million.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 10:58 am
Gooner Phil Goff has had the Ministrys lawyers go over the ICC agreement Unfortunately it appears water tight from their side NZC has no way out other than the ICC lets them off the hook Despite my and other feeble protestations to the ICc I cant see that happening unless Phil can get the Ozzies The Poms and the Subcontinent reps to the ICC on side.The Sth African and Carribean Reps wont support us
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 11:11 am
Thanks gd. Bummer.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 11:13 am
THERE IS ANOTHER WAY OUT.
Send a *** very second string *** team!
- All the top players will become unavailable for health and personal reasons over the next few weeks.
The ICC can’t fine NZ Cricket if they have to send a team of not so good replacements
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 11:21 am
THERE IS ANOTHER WAY OUT.
Send a *** very second string *** team!
- All the top players will become unavailable for health and personal reasons over the next few weeks.
The ICC can’t fine NZ Cricket if they have to send a team of not so good replacements
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 11:29 am
I don’t think paying the fine is the only way the Government can stop the tour, as I argue here:
Vote:http://blog.greens.org.nz/index.php/2005/06/28/show-us-your-legal-advice/
June 28th, 2005 at 11:50 am
I fully agree with DPF… the Government is just trying to score political “frequent flyer” miles. They will only do the obvious if led by the hand from the big boys (UK andAussie).
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 12:52 pm
The National Party’s silence on his issue is deafening. Maybe they remember the 1981 election.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 1:41 pm
Maybe the Nats just want to see THE ELECTED GOVERNMENT hang themselves?
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 1:54 pm
Maybe there is just more important things to worry about. Exceedingly 2 faced from Lab to now worry about Mgabe and Zim, but it was great to protect the murdering chinese from insult. Give me a F@#%$#@# break
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 2:09 pm
I don’t know if anyone noticed, but apparently most of the $2m goes straight to Zimbabwe for ‘lost income’. Goff rightly said that there’s no way taxpayer dosh is going to go to Mugabe so really as Laidlaw said last night, the ICC hold all the cards.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 5:12 pm
I agree, $2.8 million is chump change. But the player’s salaries are even more so, and the government might as well try bribing people not to go to preserve our reputation.
If the government isn’t willing to do it, then the public can. Nine To Noon yesterday read out messages from a number of people who were offering to chip in to feel morally clean. This would very publicly shame the government into action. The downside is that the money would go to the ICC, and some of it even to Mugabe, rather than the Zimbabweans in need (which is where it _should_ be going, dammit).
gd: do you have an email address for Mr Mani? Because it would be quite good if more people let him know how we feel about things down here.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 9:24 pm
Well, I offered to contribute $50 as soon as this issue broke and I’d still be happy to pony up. And if most of it goes to that squalid bastard Mugabe and his cronies… bugger.
If we’re encouraging the Black Caps to, in effect, break a contract and pay the penalty it’s a wee bit rich to bitch and moan because we don’t like who the money goes to. Either contract law means something in this country, or it doesn’t.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 9:31 pm
The USD2mill goes to the ICC.
The players would be fined, and under ICC rules would be ineligible for selection in the future if they refuse to play against Zimbabwe
IN ADDITION because the NZ part of the tour is to be followed by a NZ/Zimbabwe/India ODT, there is an even bigger problem.
The vast bulk of that tournament’s income goes to Zimbabwe.
With a potential tv audience across a very large slice of southern Asia, how much do you think that might be worth? USD 2 mill? Maybe USD5 mill? Any bids for over USD10 mill? Think about that for a moment. THAT IS THE PART THAT WILL BE PAID TO ZIMBABWE.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 9:56 pm
Politics could stay out of sport. Let them go, I don’t think the government should do anything about this one. Noone will watch the games anyway cos half of Zimbabwe’s team are banished from Zimbabwe for wearing black arm bands. There should be no government money going into sport, if they can’t make ends meet then there should be no sport.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 9:59 pm
Surely the best approach is the current one – approaching the ICC along with like minded nations such as Australia and England, and requesting them to ditch the fine.
No tour, no loss to NZ Cricket, no taxpayers money in Mugabe’s mitts.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 11:33 pm
And we are supposed to feel like we’ve achieved something if we decide to play cricket or not?
“Mr Robert Sir, NZ have cancelled the tour. We are going to have to stop killing women and children (and other people).”
“Curses. Those bastards display all the cunning of a soviet chess player working for the KGB. Call off the tractors, we’ll have to change our strategy.”
I know we have bugger all army, but don’t we have professional ambassadors? Send over Johnathon Hunt (by taxi if necessary) for a personal audience with Mugabe and explain just how “alarmed” NZ is. Make sure he drops by the other African Nations and has a chat. Given he’s in London, perhaps he can convince a few British folk to travel with him (aren’t they part of the commonwealth?) For Gods sake, maybe the SAS will hold his umbrella on the trip.
Wouldn’t it look like we actually care if every single commonwealth country turned up on the border of Zimbabwe to crash Roberts 10th Wedding Anniversary party “Oh Robert – you’ve taken out the garbage – what a nice presie, but what are all those flags doing waving on the border”
And some-one hide the Cricket Teams Balls. Assuming they have any.
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 10:52 am
Phil Goff holds hands with Arafat – whose human rights record and propriety has some question marks
Helen Clark spends days with Musharraf – whose human rights record and propriety has some question marks
The Chinese speaker is given an official reception – whose country’s human rights record and propriety has some question marks
Parliament is shut down to entertain tHe Indonesian President (I think) – whose country’s human rights record and propriety has some question marks
WHy is it ok for these guys to entertain hoods and thugs in NZ but not for cricketers to go there?
When were NZ cricketers declared a tool of NZ foreign policy? Isn’t that what CHina, USSR, N Korea, E Germany did/do?
Are we going to ban rugby players from Japan because they hunt whales (well the greens might want to)
Diplomacy is for diplomats and politicians leave the rest of us out of it.
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 1:02 pm
Idiot/Savant Go to the ICC website and you will find all the info The more messages sent to these fools the better The Council of the ICC met at their HQ Lords cricket ground last night our time Their President Mani was interviewed after and said the matter wasnt discussed and wont be End of story.As I know people both black and white who have come here from Zim I would respectfully suggest those who say we should keep politics and sport separate should hear their stories.Cricket is important to Mugabe and his henchmen My sources say if the Black Caps did not tour it would be a slap in the face for him Mugabe is going to make capital out of the tour and will maximise his photo ops Now wont that be something for the family album the Black Caps and Robert M all big smiles and white teeth
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
What hypocrites we mostly are.We all knew about the savagery happening in Zimbabwe long before this cricket tour became imminent.It is only now,when our cricketers are said to be feeling queasy,that we bang our gums in futile protest.Meanwhile the blacks in the Sudan are still being raped and starved to death,but,hey,that outrage is “so yesterday”.So are all the others.If indeed the ICC power base has shifted from England,NZ and Australia towards the Asian Bloc(who clearly don’t see things our way),then maybe it is time for us to chuck our toys out of the cot,and simply refuse to play with any of these Mugabe supporters
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 5:04 pm
What hypocrites we mostly are.We all knew about the savagery happening in Zimbabwe long before this cricket tour became imminent.It is only now,when our cricketers are said to be feeling queasy,that we bang our gums in futile protest.Meanwhile the blacks in the Sudan are still being raped and starved to death,but,hey,that outrage is “so yesterday”.So are all the others.If indeed the ICC power base has shifted from England,NZ and Australia towards the Asian Bloc(who clearly don’t see things our way),then maybe it is time for us to chuck our toys out of the cot,and simply refuse to play with any of these Mugabe supporters
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
What hypocrites we mostly are.We all knew about the savagery happening in Zimbabwe long before this cricket tour became imminent.It is only now,when our cricketers are said to be feeling queasy,that we bang our gums in futile protest.Meanwhile the blacks in the Sudan are still being raped and starved to death,but,hey,that outrage is “so yesterday”.So are all the others.If indeed the ICC power base has shifted from England,NZ and Australia towards the Asian Bloc(who clearly don’t see things our way),then maybe it is time for us to chuck our toys out of the cot,and simply refuse to play with any of these Mugabe supporters
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 5:44 pm
Sorry about this treble up.Damm computers.
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 6:13 pm
When are we stopping buying oil from the Saudis for their human rights abuses?
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 11:13 pm
On a tangent, does anyone here support New Zealand boycotting the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Appaling as Mugabe is (to pull out the understatement), I think helping provide window-dressing for a regime with an even worse human rights record is even worse.
Thoughts?
Vote:June 29th, 2005 at 11:51 pm
maybe Goff wsa a little too premature in banningthe Zim’s from touring- personally I would have invited them here to play, as the zim B side, secretly invited the Zim A side (now in exile), then given the whole damn lot of the refugee status in a very publicised manner…. throw a bit of a CNN shindig where residency is granted to those that want it, and then I’d allow any other Zimmos to claim refugee status too (the usual health checks etc would have to be passed)
Vote:June 30th, 2005 at 12:52 am
Good question Craig. I shall ponder. Still, seems bloody annoying we bloggers have to sort out a cohesive foreign policy position when we pay good tax dollars to have “experts” do it.
Vote:July 1st, 2005 at 1:29 pm
i have readers in zimbabwe..and have been sent an account by a dominican nun of what mugabes’ clean-up has done to them and the people they work with..
sensitive souls may find parts harrowing…
i put it up as my last post yeasterday…
phil(whoar.co.nz)
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