Scrapping tour should not become a 'Profit' for Mugabe : Howard

Sydney, May 11 (UNI) Australian Prime Minister John Howard said though his top priority is to scrape the Zimbabwe tour, he also wants to make sure the Mugabe Government does not profit from the fine that Cricket Australia may have to pay for not touring the trouble-torn African nation.

''Our secondary and quite important goal is to see that money we might have to pay as compensation to indemnify Cricket Australia doesn't end up in his grubby hands, because that would be wrong,'' he said. ''But important though it is, that is secondary to our desire that tour doesn't take place,'' he added.

Cricket Australia will have to shell out a fine of two million dollars, to be imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in case the Zimbabwe tour of Australia is scrapped.

The Australian government has offered to pay the fine.

A meeting between Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, Cricket Australia officials and Australian Cricketers Association has not resulted in any concrete agreement over the issue to stop Australia from touring Zimbabwe.

Mr Downer expressed concern that fine moneys would end up in Mugabe's coffers.

The Foreign Minister said, ''We (government) are now exploring legal options with us to stop this tour.'' Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said that its a complex situation as Cricket Australia has a commitment towards ICC and is also aware about Australian Government's views.

''I think there's clearly strong sentiment for us not to go around the country. We understand that... (but) at the same time there's not just an open and shut case,'' Mr Sutherland told local media.

''Cricket Australia finds itself in a very difficult and complex issue and, from that perspective, we hope people understand that we are not operating in a vacuum here,'' he concluded.

UNI