KEY POINTS:
Security and health risks presented by a cricket tour to Zimbabwe need to be considered as well as moral issues, Prime Minister John Key says.
The New Zealand cricket team are scheduled to play three one one-day internationals in the strife-torn nation in July under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) future tours programme.
However, Mr Key has signalled over the past couple of days he is reluctant to support the tour and would consider intervening to stop the team going.
The previous Labour government came under pressure to do the same on its watch, but stopped at urging against it, while the Australian government canned its team's tour there in 2007.
Mr Key said today the political regime was not acceptable, but there were other reasons not to go.
"In my view there are a number of security risks. There are security risks for our players, there is the risk of cholera and quite frankly we don't support that regime, and we've made that quite clear," he told TV3's Sunrise show.
He said sending the players would give the wrong message and the ICC needed to be realistic about the issue.
The only way the New Zealand Cricket can avoid ICC sanctions is if Mr Key orders the team not to tour.
"Now, if we don't send them, potentially New Zealand Cricket could be fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
"But you have to ask the question `why would the ICC be fining New Zealand for not sending their cricket team to a country which is so dysfunctional that it is a high risk if our players go there?"
Mr Key said the Government was working through issues regarding the tour, but that players shouldn't start packing their cricket bags.
"We'll work our way through it, but I'm not deeply in favour, that's for sure."
He was still getting advice on the Government's options to stop the tour, but NZ Cricket had indicated it would not travel if it was told not to go.
Mr Key said the idea of New Zealand being fined for not touring a dangerous country ruled by a regime it did not support was inappropriate.
He would be happy to talk to the ICC about the issue and did not know whether the Government would compensate NZ cricket.
"These are issues we have to consider," Mr Key said.
NZ Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said at the weekend he was seeking a meeting with Murray McCully, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Sport and Recreation over the issue.
- NZPA
