Test Cricket Tours - Australia to Zimbabwe 2001-02

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Test Cricket Tours - Australia to Zimbabwe 2001-02

Tour of Zimbabwe 2001-02 Captain: Steve Waugh ?

Tour cancelled on 27 March

Intended to be part of Australia’s 72nd Test tour

(April - May 2002)

Would have been the second Test-playing tour of Zimbabwe by Australia

(previously toured in

October 1999)

This tour was planned to follow the one-day series in South Africa.

On 20 March the Australian Cricket Board Chief Executive, James Sutherland, was cautious because of tensions in Zimbabwe following its presidential elections two weeks before. He said that the cricket tour of Zimbabwe would go ahead subject to concerns about safety.

A week later, once the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade hadissued travel advice warning Australian nationals against visiting Zimbabwe, the tour was cancelled on 27 March.

The Board felt there were unacceptable risks to the players and officials of encountering political violence, possibly stemming from the Australian government’s part in having Zimbabwe suspended from the Commonwealth.

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union would not consider rescheduling the tour in a neutral country as this would amount to admitting that it was unsafe to tour Zimbabwe - where World Cup fixtures were to be held in a year’s time - and no other countries were available to take Australia’s place.

Other Australian Tours

Previous tour

South Africa 2001-02

Next tour

v Pakistan in Sri Lanka and UAE 2002-03

Next tour of Zimbabwe

2004 (also cancelled)

None scheduled since.

Members of the named ODI tour party (15)

Opening batsmen Matthew Hayden, Jimmy Maher.

Middle-order batsmen: Darren Lehmann, Damien Martyn, Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan

Wicket-keeper:Adam Gilchrist

All-rounders: Ian Harvey, Shane Watson

Spin bowlers: Shane Warne, Nathan Hauritz

Fast bowlers:Jason Gillespie, Andy Bichel, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath.

M G Bevan	NSW	31	LHB SLA	ODI

A J Bichel	Qld	31	RFM	ODI

A C Gilchrist	WA	30	WK LHB vice-captain	ODI

J N Gillespie	SA	26	RFM	ODI

M L Hayden	Qld	30	LHB opener	ODI

I J Harvey	Vic	30	RHB RM	ODI

N M Hauritz	Qld	20	OB	ODI

B Lee	NSW	25	RF	ODI

D S Lehmann	SA	32	LHB	ODI

G D McGrath	NSW	32	RFM	ODI

J P Maher	Qld	28	LHB opener	ODI

D R Martyn	WA	30	RHB	ODI

R T Ponting	Tas	27	RHB captain	ODI

S K Warne	Vic	32	LBG	ODI

S Watson	Tas	20	RHB RFM	ODI

State representation

Pura Cup teams

NSW New South Wales (3)

Qld Queensland (4)

SA South Australia (2)

Tas Tasmania (2)

Vic Victoria (2)

WA Western Australia (2)

Average age of team at time of scheduled first Test match

(25 April 2002) :

30 yrs 5 months.

ODI member of one-day series squad v Zimbabwe

Test Appearances made before the tour

Warne 101, McGrath 84, Ponting 56, Gillespie 33, Gilchrist 31, Hayden 30, Martyn 25, Lee 21, Bevan 18, Bichel 6, Lehmann 5, Harvey 0, Hauritz 0, Maher 0, Watson 0.

Tour Officials

Steve Bernard	Tour manager
John Buchanan	Coach
Errol Alcott	Physiotherapist

Selectors

Trevor Hohns (chairman), Allan Border, David Boon and Andrew Hilditch.

Selection

The names of players for the Test matches in Zimbabwe were never announced.

Squad for one-day series announced: 4 March 2002.

Ponting was named on 16 February as captain of the side to play the one-day matches. It seems likely that Steve Waugh would have been called back to take over the captaincy for the 2 Test matches.

Test tour party due to be announced: approx 26 March 2002

Time between selection for South Africa-Zimbabwe tour and departure from Australia 15 days

(30 January - 14 February

Travel

Johannesburg Q Harare

The first match would have begun on Saturday 13 April 2002.

Time scheduled to spend in Zimbabwe 26 days

(approx 12 April - 8 May)

On-tour selection

Responsibility would have rested with the National Selection Panel.

Fixtures/Results

a	§ Harare	Zimbabwe (1st ODI)	cancelled
b	§ Harare	Zimbabwe (2nd ODI)	cancelled
c	§ Bulawayo	Zimbabwe (3rd ODI)	cancelled
d	Kwekwe	Zimbabwe A	cancelled
e	HARARE	ZIMBABWE First Test	cancelled
f	BULAWAYO	ZIMBABWE Second Test	cancelled

§ one-day internationals

Time scheduled in Zimbabwe before First Test: 13 days

(12 April - 25 April)

Tour Summary

	P	W	L	D	Cancelled
Test Matches	2	-	-	-	2
Other first-class matches	1	-	-	-	1
§ One-day internationals	3	-	-	-	3
All Matches	6	-	-	-	6

Return to Australia

The last match would have ended in Bulawayo on Tues 7 May.

Time scheduled to be away from Australia for South Africa-Zimbabwe tour

83 days

(14 February to 8 May)

Finances

Travelex, the foreign exchange specialists, were the international tour partners of the Australian Cricket Board and had sponsored the tour. The Australian government had advised against travelling in Zimbabwe so the Australian Board did not have to compensate the Zimbabwe Cricket Union or I C C for not making the tour.

Postscript

Countries prevented “by force majeure” from completing international fixtures, or if directed by their governments not to do so, were not penalised by the ICC so this did not affect the Australians’ position in the ICC Test Championship rankings.