Morgan salutes ECB stance

25 June 2008

David Morgan

David Morgan, the president-elect of the International Cricket Council, has welcomed the ECB’s decision to suspend all bilateral arrangements with Zimbabwe Cricket.

Morgan, a former chairman of the ECB, told Sky Sports: “It pleases me, and the ECB have done that on receipt of a letter to their chairman from the secretary of state, Mr Burnham.

“I believe it is a letter which provides the correct wording to provide an acceptable non-compliance within the Future Tours Programme for the ECB, and that must be welcome news.”

Reflecting on his time at the ECB, Morgan added: “In 2004, when we toured Zimbabwe, we simply had to go because the Government were unable to give us an instruction, and therefore provide an acceptable non-compliance. So we went.

“It was not the easiest tour for the players or the administrators.

I think it has to be good news against the background of the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe that the British government have issued this letter this morning.”

Morgan yesterday confirmed the issue will be discussed at next week’s ICC executive board meeting in Dubai: “I reminded myself this morning of a meeting of the executive board just a year ago when the subject of how member countries are governed was on the table.

“The executive board decided by a substantial majority politics and cricket should not mix. For matters to move forward there will have to be a change in that regard.”