MacGill asks team-mates to reconsider Zimbabwe tour

MELBOURNE, May 3: Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, who boycotted Australia's last tour of Zimbabwe three years ago, has asked his team-mates to take a closer look at the situation in the African nation.
The World champion's next assignment is a One-day series in Zimbabwe in September against what is likely to be an under-strength side.
With Cricket Australia facing a $2million ICC fine if it fails to fulfil its international obligations, only an independent, adverse security assessment will prevent the tour from taking place.
"It's naive to think that sport and politics don't mix," 'The Australian' quoted MacGill as saying on Thursday.
"You have to look at things from all angles and make your own mind up about the sorts of things that are important to you and that you have a bigger part to play in the world community than just on the sporting field," he said.
MacGill made it clear that while he felt strongly about Zimbabwe, and believes the country has deteriorated since his refusal to tour, he was unaware if any of his Australian team-mates felt the same.
"I don't know and I'm careful not to discuss it with anyone because I'd hate to think I'm making their mind up for them," he said adding "I'm not an activist, I'm not making a stand, it's just something that I didn't feel comfortable doing (touring Zimbabwe)."
The key person in MacGill's decision-making was former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower who, along with fast bowler Henry Olonga, took the stand to wear black arm-bands during the opening 2003 World Cup match in Zimbabwe to highlight "the death of democracy" in their country.
"He pretty much said what I thought, which was 'if you're hoping to change the world by your decision, you should probably go (tour). One man is not going to make any difference. But if you're doing it because you don't feel comfortable then by all means (don't go)'," MacGill said.
"That was the best thing he could have said to me because it was the way my actions were going to be perceived which bothered me the most. People would think I was trying to shake the tree a bit and that certainly wasn't the case," he added.
"On an individual level, there was a lot to feel uncomfortable about travelling as a sporting team over there and so I decided I couldn't go," the leg-spinner said, adding "and if anything, it (the situation in Zimbabwe) has deteriorated enormously."
MacGill believes it is tough for players to take an individual stand.
"I don't know whether the players should be in a position where they find themselves faced with these decisions. If it is a significantly wider community issue then possibly it should be a wider set of participants fighting it out," MacGill said, referring to sporting bodies and politicians.
Other players will be encouraged that MacGill, who is not a member of the One-day team and is not likely to be considered for this tour, experienced no official ramifications from refusing to join the team in 2004.
"As far as selection was concerned, I can guarantee there weren't any (ramifications) and if there was any unhappiness at board level, I certainly didn't feel it," MacGill said.
Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Paul Marsh said the ACA was in the process of gathering as much information as possible to put before the players over the next few months.
"We're talking to government representatives and security consultants here and in Zimbabwe to get the best idea possible of what the situation is like," Marsh said.
Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said CA was likely to send a delegation to Zimbabwe in August to assess the situation.
"We don't have our heads in the sand ... but we have very strict obligations under the ICC's future tours programme," Young said.