Gilchrist hits out

Adam Gilchrist, Australia's vice-captain, has condemned his government for shifting the onus of decision over Australia's World Cup match in Zimbabwe on to the players.

The squad have worked closely with the Australian Cricket Board and the players' association about whether it is safe to play in Bulawayo on February 24. On Tuesday the team decided that the game should go ahead there.

But Gilchrist said it was not right that the team were left to answer questions on the morality of playing in a country under the regime of Robert Mugabe.

"Although we are being updated by the board and the players' association almost daily, it is a situation that is difficult to comprehend, most of all when subjects other than safety and security are raised," Gilchrist said.

"The moral questions are the ones that are hard to counter, particularly when they should be answered by our politicians. Unfortunately the pressure on our team regarding this issue is one that would be best handled by a government rather than a side embarking on a World Cup campaign.

"It is an unenviable position for any athlete to be placed in. In an ideal world, sport and politics would not mix, but here they are very much linked."