Four members of the Zimbabwean touring squad will play on the two Test tour of England, despite their farms being threatened by the troubles back home. Vice-captain Heath Streak, Guy Whittall, Bryan Strang and Dirk Viljoen must put their personal worries behind them for a tour which includes a prestigious Lord's Test match, starting on May 18. Team manager Dan Stannard insisted the tour was never in doubt once the cricket authorities of both countries had given permission for it to go ahead.
However, even though Stannard, whose own son is a farm manager, confirmed that he could foresee no circumstances under which the trip would be curtailed, any further violence could see individuals decide to return. ‘If problems arise in the future, we will deal with them then,’ said skipper Andy Flowers. ‘There is no point in worrying about situations which haven't happened…..this is not ideal because we have farmers in the squad and we are all thinking about what has happened…..It is frustrating to watch television pictures from thousands of miles away but that will not be an excuse for our on-field performances.’
The entire Zimbabwe squad will be kept fully briefed, with Stannard admitting that women and children from the farming families have already left their homes.
