Australia govt in call to scrap Zimbabwe tour

SYDNEY, May 7 (Reuters) The Australian government has called on the national cricket team to cancel their planned tour of Zimbabwe for later this year.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he would meet Cricket Australia officials this week in the hope of persuading them to scrap the three-one-dayers scheduled for September.

''My view is that the tour shouldn't go ahead,'' Downer told reporters toay.

''If it were to go ahead then Australia, which is after all the world championship team, would give Zimbabwe's regime and its president, who has been the patron of Zimbabwe Cricket Association, a propaganda victory,'' Downer said.

''We shouldn't do that -- this is a horrific regime in Zimbabwe and we should take a stand against it.'' The ICC said in a statement on its position later today that where any goverment refused approval of a tour or imposed restrictions or prohibition, that amounted to ''acceptable non-compliance'' and teams would not have to tour.

However, it added: ''It should be noted that it is not sufficient for a government to express a preference that its team not undertake a tour, or to express criticism of or condemn the activities of the government of a member (country) which is to be toured.

''A positive act of restriction or prohibition is required.'' Zimbabwean cricket has been in crisis for the past few years but is still recognised by the ICC, though it has currently withdrawn from tests.

Reuters SBA VP0148