View Full Version : Australians 'have let us down'
Australians 'have let us down'
February 7, 2003
A ZIMBABWEAN living in Bulawayo said today he would not watch Australia play in the World Cup in his home town, even if he was offered a free ticket to the match.
Bernard McCann, whose daughter and grandchildren live in Brisbane, said most people are upset that Australia have agreed to play in Zimbabwe.
Australia are scheduled to play at Bulawayo's Queens Sports Club on February 24, despite the federal government continuing to lobby the International Cricket Council to move the match.
McCann said locals are feeling let down that the international teams are not boycotting the country, which is in a state of political turmoil, economic collapse and ravaged by famine, induced by the regime of President Robert Mugabe.
"When South Africa had apartheid Australia said it wouldn't play South Africa, and the same before that with Rhodesia," said McCann.
"But I can tell you the atrocities which are being committed in this country are a hell of a lot worse than they ever were in those times."
McCann said people are struggling to find stocks of the staple diet of mielie meal (corn meal) and petrol is scarcely available.
"People haven't had mielie meal for the last three months. We got petrol on Friday, that was the first bit of petrol we've had since November," he said.
"People are sleeping in their cars, in queues kilometres long in hope to get petrol, and some of them after three days give up because they have to get home.
"And the rest of the world says we'll let you go and play cricket anyway, it doesn't matter."
McCann said he is not confident visitors will be safe.
"I wouldn't bank on anybody being safe here because it is so volatile," he said.
"The people are starving, they are bloody hungry and then when they see that the rest of the world doesn't see any problem and comes to play cricket – it's just a big game."
The former mine manager said there was "no way" he would watch the match.
"Do you think I could actually condone the rest of the world coming to play cricket here while people like me and the Africans are starving?" he said.
"Do you think I would support something like that? Like hell, no way.
"People I have spoken to say you can't get tickets but even if they got tickets free they wouldn't go."
AAP
It is a pooor decision by all involved to allow the Australians, or anyone else for that matter to play in Zimbabwe. I can appreciate how the locals must be feeling, it's as though the entire world couldn't give a toss about what's happening to the people in Zimbabwe.
I know there are people out there who say you should never mix sport with politics, but that is in an ideal world. The truth is, sport IS extremely political, and Australia have made the wrong choice.
I am so sorry that we, the rest of the world, are turning our backs on the people of Zimbabwe.
I dont think Australians have let anybody down as its not their fault that Zimbabwe is in the strife that its in.
Players safety has to be the prime concern and even if there is a slight chance that players are in danger then they should have every right to have games moved to a safer place.
ScouseCat
7 Feb 2003, 11:08
Originally posted by Becker
I know there are people out there who say you should never mix sport with politics, but that is in an ideal world. The truth is, sport IS extremely political, and Australia have made the wrong choice. I am so sorry that we, the rest of the world, are turning our backs on the people of Zimbabwe.
I disagree.
This is about a game of cricket, not politics.... all the Australian players want to do is play cricket providing it is safe to do so. It was not us who scheduled our game to be played in Zimbabwe, seems a strange decision by the ICC to have any games there at all considering the political unrest in that country at the moment.
Robert Mugabe has done some terrible things to the people of Zimbabwe and he should be delt with by the appropriate channels.... the UN for example, not any cricketing bodies. If it's alright to go after Saddam Hussain for what he's done, then Robert Mugabe should also be delt with. However, this has nothing to do with a cricket match as Mugabe would want us to believe... just because we may play our game there (which was scheduled by the ICC) doesn't mean we support what is happening in that country.
When I'm talking about "Australians", I'm not talking about the cricket team, I'm referring to all Australians.
This is a rubbish article, in the vain of so many other cr@p articles on this topic. They really are flogging a dead horse. Explain to me how the presence or absence of cricket in Zimbabwe makes one iota of difference to the country's present situation? Mugabe should be dealt with, but by the proper means of doing so; not with token sports boycotts.
Originally posted by DaveW
This is a rubbish article, in the vain of so many other cr@p articles on this topic. They really are flogging a dead horse. Explain to me how the presence or absence of cricket in Zimbabwe makes one iota of difference to the country's present situation? Mugabe should be dealt with, but by the proper means of doing so; not with token sports boycotts.
Because this will give Mugabe world credence. He is the patron of the ZCU. He will open the matches and the players, aussies included, will have to shake his hand. He will use these matches for political gain, you'd have to be pretty naive to think otherwise.
Mugabe is as evil as Hitler, would you shake the hand of Hitler?
Originally posted by Jim Boy
Mugabe is as evil as Hitler, would you shake the hand of Hitler? No just give him the Heil Hitler salute.
Originally posted by Jim Boy
Because this will give Mugabe world credence. He is the patron of the ZCU. He will open the matches and the players, aussies included, will have to shake his hand.
No they wont. He might want them to, but short of gunpoint no-one can force them to.
He will use these matches for political gain, you'd have to be pretty naive to think otherwise.
Agreed.
That aside, I find it incongruous that someone can think it's ok to play a game of cricket when it is highly likely that there will be protests occuring at the game that will be met with violence by the police. I for one wouldn't like to be working where someone is getting the **** beaten out of them.
i could not play in a country where this sort of stuff is occurring
I cant see how players are going to concentrate on playing cricket with all this strife in Zimbabwe either and more to the point i cant see why those d1ckheads who call themselves the ICC wont transfer games if there is the likelyhood of trouble.Surely players safety has to be considered and if teams are going to forfeit games then this world cup is going to become a shambles
Originally posted by shiva25
I cant see how players are going to concentrate on playing cricket with all this strife in Zimbabwe either and more to the point i cant see why those d1ckheads who call themselves the ICC wont transfer games if there is the likelyhood of trouble.Surely players safety has to be considered and if teams are going to forfeit games then this world cup is going to become a shambles
Yet if teams were refusing to play in Australia because of the appaulling behaviour of the Victorian crowds combined with the violent clashes between police and protestors all over the country you would be calling them wimps and be talking about how ridiculous they were being.
Originally posted by Zombie
Yet if teams were refusing to play in Australia because of the appaulling behaviour of the Victorian crowds combined with the violent clashes between police and protestors all over the country you would be calling them wimps and be talking about how ridiculous they were being.
Wake up Zombie.How can you compare whats happening in Zimbabwe to the behavour of some of our crowds here.Teams like England have recieved death threats if they play in Zimbabwe which is hardly comparable with crowds in Australia
Originally posted by shiva25
Wake up Zombie.How can you compare whats happening in Zimbabwe to the behavour of some of our crowds here.Teams like England have recieved death threats if they play in Zimbabwe which is hardly comparable with crowds in Australia
Haha, any idea where these threats were made? That's right, they were made in Australia.
I'll certainly grant that this is a pretty complex issue. Two thought provoking articles I have read are http://www.theindependent.co.zw/news/2003/January/Friday3/1077.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,881318,00.html.
What's your decision?
This is obviously a really hard issue to come up with a point of view on. All i know is that if this dictator - Mugabe, is really as bad as he is portrayed (I say that because i don't know - i've never been to zimbabwe) something should be done about it - whether it is the Australian cricket team, the australian government, the UN, or the ICC that does it i'm not sure - but someone should make a stand and take the hard line, draw the line in the sand etc. etc.!! And I don't mean in the way the US is with Iraq at the moment, by threatening war etc. Anyways. Just my opinion.
Bomber Spirit
10 Feb 2003, 20:37
As reported on http://uk.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2003/FEB/136840_WC2003_10FEB2003.html before Zimbabwe's match against Namibia, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga made this public statement:
Issued 9.30 a.m. 10 February 2003, at the start of Zimbabwe's opening World Cup match against Namibia.
It is a great honour for us to take the field today to play for Zimbabwe in the World Cup. We feel privileged and proud to have been able to represent our country. We are however deeply distressed about what is taking place in Zimbabwe in the midst of the World Cup and do not feel that we can take the field without indicating our feelings in a dignified manner and in keeping with the spirit of cricket.
We cannot in good conscience take to the field and ignore the fact that millions of our compatriots are starving, unemployed and oppressed. We are aware that hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans may even die in the coming months through a combination of starvation, poverty and Aids. We are aware that many people have been unjustly imprisoned and tortured simply for expressing their opinions about what is happening in the country. We have heard a torrent of racist hate speech directed at minority groups. We are aware that thousands of Zimbabweans are routinely denied their right to freedom of expression. We are aware that people have been murdered, raped, beaten and had their homes destroyed because of their beliefs and that many of those responsible have not been prosecuted. We are also aware that many patriotic Zimbabweans oppose us even playing in the Wc because of what is happening.
It is impossible to ignore what is happening in Zimbabwe. Although we are just professional cricketers, we do have a conscience and feelings. We believe that if we remain silent that will be taken as a sign that either we do not care or we condone what is happening in Zimbabwe. We believe that it is important to stand up for what is right.
We have struggled to think of an action that would be appropriate and that would not demean the game we love so much. We have decided that we should act alone without other members of the team being involved because our decision is deeply personal and we did not want to use our senior status to unfairly influence more junior members of the squad. We would like to stress that we greatly respect the ICC and are grateful for all the hard work it has done in bringing the World Cup to Zimbabwe.
In all the circumstances we have decided that we will each wear a black armband for the duration of the World Cup. In doing so we are mourning the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe. In doing so we are making a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe. In doing so we pray that our small action may help to restore sanity and dignity to our Nation.
Andrew Flower – Henry Olonga
A very courageous move by those 2 players - I strongly suspect that after this World Cup they won't be picked again for as long as Mugabe is in power. Which is a tragedy, both for Zimbabwean cricket, but more importantly also for freedom of speech.
St-KriS
11 Feb 2003, 06:05
Andrew Flower & Henry Olonga are very brave men for speaking out like that. I just hope Mugabe doesnt do something stupid and jail or even something worse to these guys.
Originally posted by St-KriS
Andrew Flower & Henry Olonga are very brave men for speaking out like that. I just hope Mugabe doesnt do something stupid and jail or even something worse to these guys.
In 12 months or so we'll probably be asking, "Whatever happened to Andy Flower and Henry Olonga?".
Can't blame them though, the rest of the world have turned their backs on them, so I guess they saw the need to do something.