CA to act as a 'saviour' of Zimbabwe cricket

Sydney, Jun 6 (UNI) The condition of cricket in Zimbabwe might have detoriated under Robert Mugabe's regime, but young and aspiring cricketers of the country have nothing to worry about, as the Australian cricket board is planning to invite them to their cricket academies to hone their skills.

'The Herald Sun' quoted Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland as saying that CA had full sympathy for the troubled African nation 'in a cricket sense'.

''There might be ways we can help and do something for them.

Inviting young cricketers to spend time at our centre of excellence, perhaps,'' Sutherland said.

Sutherland's statement came after the Australia government last month cancelled their national team's Zimbabwe tour in September.

Sutherland said after the cancellation of the tour, CA had been 'put in a really difficult position regarding public sentiment and our conscience' as the tour became such a political issue.

If CA does what it preaches then it would be a blessing in disguise for the turbulent Zimbabwean cricket which is already reeling under a Test ban from the ICC until a large scale improvement in their standards to mantain the integrity of the game.

UNI