England News

ECB Media Release

Senior officials from the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today met with Tessa Jowell, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport and other Government Ministers to discuss England�s scheduled ICC World Cup match next month against Zimbabwe in Harare.

Commenting on the meeting, Tim Lamb, Chief Executive of the ECB, said:

�We had a firm and open exchange of views, but are disappointed with the outcome.

The final decision about whether we play this match does, as the Government maintains, technically rest with the ECB. However, if we sacrifice this match it will, in effect, be at the Government�s request � and for the wider national interest. We don�t understand therefore the Government�s refusal to compensate us out of the national purse for any consequential losses we incur. These losses could damage cricket enormously. Surely, it is only fair that the Government should at least discuss this with us � as the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has said he is willing to do with the ACB (Australian Cricket Board).

We are also disappointed that Government Ministers waited until very late in the day to tell us that they did not want us to play this match against Zimbabwe. This has now left us in a total �no-win� situation. If they had expressed their views earlier, perhaps this situation could have been avoided.

We are only too well aware of the immoral and repressive nature of the Mugabe regime and, should we fulfil this fixture, have given the Government our assurance that we are determined not to give the Mugabe regime any opportunity to make propaganda out of the England team playing against Zimbabwe. That is the last thing we want to happen�.

Michael Vaughan added to his recent sports awards by winning the Man of the Match award in the 5th Test v Australia in Sydney after his 183 helped England to their first victory over the Australians. He was then presented with the prestigious honour of 'Man of the Series' a well deserved award for Yorkshire's star batsman. There are rumours that in this form Michael is being tipped for the next England Captain, watch this space....

Next summer, npower Test Matches will begin at 10.45am instead of the traditional 11.00am start time. Lunch will therefore be taken at 12.45pm,
the tea interval at 3.25pm, and the scheduled close will thus be at 5.45pm. Daytime One-Day Internationals also start at 10.45am.

Chris Silverwood will be shortly flying home from Australia after it was confirmed that his ankle injury will keep him out of the remaining two test matches against the Australians. Silverwood who was a late replacement for the injured Darren Gough and Simon Jones broke down in his first bowling spell on Day 1 of the third test. Australia went on to win the match and regain the Ashes trophy.