England in Zimbabwe 2004-05

England touch down in Harare

Our correspondent

November 26, 2004

Michael Vaughan hauls his luggae through Harare airport © Getty Images

The welcome was low key, with nobody from Zimbabwe Cricket on hand to greet them. The squad were rushed through the airport and then driven to their city-centre hotel accompanied by a hefty police escort.

Security round the hotel was equally heavy and one eyewitness described the atmosphere as "hostile". He added that there were "many people in suits who are clearly government agents keeping an eye on journalists".

Earlier, England rejected a request from Zimbabwe Cricket to reschedule Friday's opening one-day international at the Harare Cricket Club to Saturday. England's late arrival meant the players and management felt they had insufficient time to prepare for a game so soon. Sources in Zimbabwe reported that there will now be two matches at Harare and two at Bulawayo, with the fifth game scrapped.

Meanwhile, David Morgan, the beleaguered ECB chairman, defended his actions in visiting Harare. "I have certainly looked at what's happening here. We have sympathy with the people here, but the ECB is in business. Our trade is cricket and the revenue part of our trade is international cricket," Morgan told reporters. "In order to trade internationally, we have to play by the rules of the ICC, and the rules of ICC are such that member countries are not allowed to avoid tours as part of the Future Tours Programme for moral reasons."

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