Zimbabwe to skip World Twenty20 in England

By Lin Noueihed

DUBAI (Reuters) - Zimbabwe have agreed to skip next year's World Twenty20 in England to end a deadlock over demands that the African nation be suspended because of Robert Mugabe's government, the International Cricket Council said on Friday.

"Zimbabwe cricket has ... taken note that the British government is likely to refuse to grant visas for the Zimbabwe cricket team to take part in the ICC World Twenty20 2009," the ICC said in statement issued after its annual meeting in Dubai.

"Therefore, the Zimbabwe delegation has decided to recommend to its board that the team should withdraw from that event."

It will report back to the ICC on the final decision of the Zimbabwe board in one month.

The ICC executive board met for a third day on Friday to resolve the deadlock over Zimbabwe, which has lurched from one crisis to another in the last few years, on and off the pitch.

Britain has led calls to suspend Zimbabwe from international cricket following last week's widely-criticised presidential election run-off in which Mugabe retained power unopposed. It welcomed Friday's decision.

"I welcome the suspension of Zimbabwe from ICC tournaments for a year. This will allow the Twenty20 tournament in England to go ahead," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a statement.

"It also sends a powerful message to Zimbabwe that the government must change or face further isolation."