Zimbabwe to Be Banned From Playing Cricket in England

Zimbabwe will be banned from playing cricket in England next year, it emerged today, as the England and Wales Cricket Board officially severed its ties with the country.

Following the lead of South Africa earlier this week, the ECB confirmed that all bilateral arrangements with Zimbabwe Cricket would be suspended with immediate effect.

"The ECB deplores the position in Zimbabwe and, like Cricket South Africa, finds this untenable," the statement said. "Therefore all bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect."

The move came after Andy Burnham, the sports secretary, wrote to the board outlining the government's position.

The ECB said that Burnham had "made a clear instruction that Zimbabwe's bilateral tour scheduled under the ICC Future Tours Program for 2009 should be canceled".

"The ECB, who have been in constructive and extensive dialog with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for some time, welcome the government's decision and share the government's concerns about the deteriorating situation and lack of human rights in Zimbabwe," the statement said.

Earlier Gordon Brown told MPs it "would not be right" to allow a proposed tour to take place.

The prime minister also called for other countries to help ban Zimbabwe from taking part in cricket's Twenty20 World Cup, which will take place in England next year.

"We want to ensure that Zimbabwe does not tour England next year," Brown said during prime minister's question time.

Brown also told the Commons that the government is preparing "intensified" sanctions against Robert Mugabe's "criminal cabal".

The prime minister is pressing for travel and financial restrictions to be imposed on named members of Mugabe's regime.

And Brown warned firms that are helping the regime to "reconsider their position".

The Tory leader, David Cameron, said that any individuals complicit with the regime ought to "examine their own conscience" and urged the prime minister to call for travel and financial sanctions to be extended to family members and associates of the regime.