Cricket: Australia set for lone cricket bid

Australia is poised to bid for the 2011 Cricket World Cup alone after the Government yesterday reaffirmed its ban on this summer's proposed visit from Zimbabwe.

In a haunting parallel to the 2003 Rugby World Cup hosting rights debacle, New Zealand's cricket board is now resigned to dropping out of the race for the 2011 tournament, which it hoped to co-host with Australia.

NZ Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said yesterday that he'd already contacted Australian Cricket Board counterpart James Sutherland to discuss the probability of Australia going it alone in 2011.

"We'll still attempt a co-bid, but I've discussed the matter with James and we've agreed it's a route the ACB might now have to go down," Mr Snedden said last night.

The prospect of New Zealand being shunned by Cricket World Cup organisers follows the setback in the early 2000s, when an unseemly fracas between rugby bosses led to the loss of the country's 2003 co-hosting chances.

Australia eventually took over as the sole host and staged the most successful and lucrative Rugby World Cup.

Mr Snedden said it was a bit rich to expect the ICC to present their showcase tournament to a country which denied access to one of their own members.

"There was some suggestion that Zimbabwe could be offered an exemption for the 2011 World Cup, but the point is that the damage has already been done.

"We won't be given the chance to offer anyone an exemption."

However, he accepted the Government's decision to ban the Zimbabwean cricketers, saying the loss of credibility, as well as the loss of a potential $3 million were a price that NZC would simply have to pay.

Mr Snedden had a "friendly and frank discussion" with Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff and Progressive leader Jim Anderton who he believed now had a far better understanding of the implications for NZC, should they be prevented from meeting their contractual obligations.

There was also a chance for Mr Snedden to point out that India had no qualms about joining the Black Caps in a tri-series next month in Zimbabwe, and that New Zealand were virtually alone in their opposition to the tour.