New Zealand's cricketers will proceed with next month's tour of Zimbabwe despite increasing opposition from their government.
The nation's administration is leading a global push to have Zimbabwe banned from international cricket because of widespread concerns about human rights abuses under President Robert Mugabe.
The foreign affairs ministers of New Zealand and Australia said on Saturday they will ask the International Cricket Council (ICC) to change its rules and permit teams to forfeit tours of Zimbabwe without facing hefty fines.
"We're making joint representations to the International Cricket Council urging it to alter its rules to allow teams to forfeit tours to countries where there are serious or egregious human rights abuses," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told reporters on the Sunshine Coast, Australia.
New Zealand's government has already announced it would refuse to issue visas to the Zimbabwe team in a reciprocal tour scheduled for the end of this year and is enlisting the support of other cricketing nations.
The British and Australian governments have both announced they would support plans to exclude the troubled African nation from international sport.
However, New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said they were bound to proceed with the tour to avoid paying the ICC a minimum fine of $2 million for any boycott.
CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENT
"The fact is we have a contractual commitment to Zimbabwe cricket and to the other eight test playing countries," Snedden said.
"It's our intention to honour our promise and to meet our obligations under that agreement."
Snedden also said he was concerned about the long-term financial implications of the government's plans to block Zimbabwe's scheduled trip to New Zealand in December.
He believed any cancellation would have a serious effect on New Zealand Cricket's cash flow and may damage their bid to co-host the 2011 World Cup with Australia.
"For some time I've been working with Australia and between us we have been submitting a joint bid to host. My instinct is that we would have had a reasonable chance of success," Snedden said.
"I have explained to the government that prior to their final decision, a move to withdraw the visas for the Zimbabwe team will inevitably severely undermine NZC's ability to be a joint host."
WALKED OUT
Zimbabwean cricket has been in crisis for the past few years. At the 2003 World Cup, held mostly in South Africa but with a few games in Zimbabwe, players Andy Flower and Henry Olonga wore black armbands to "mourn the death of democracy".
Last year, most of the country's top players walked out on the national team over a race row, leading to calls for international teams to boycott Zimbabwe.
The ICC threatened to fine countries who refused to tour, but Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill lodged a personal protest, refusing to take part in his team's trip and telling selectors he could not "tour Zimbabwe and maintain a clear conscience".
Shortly after his announcement, Australia's tour was cancelled and no fines were issued.
Later that year, England's planned tour of the country was postponed after the ICC took away Zimbabwe's test status, which has since been returned.
The issue has resurfaced after Western countries and organisations including Britain, the United States, the Commonwealth and the European Union condemned a new housing programme in Zimbabwe, which has claimed the lives of at least two children crushed to death in demolished houses.
