Bevan urges ICC to abandon Zimbabwe

In the light of the United States' advice to its citizens to consider leaving Zimbabwe, the England players' representative, Richard Bevan, believes the International Cricket Council will have little option but to move England's World Cup fixture from Harare to South Africa next month.

Bevan, the managing director of the Professional Cricketers' Association, was due to continue talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board and the ICC after the players expressed concerns over safety at the 13 February fixture.

"[The US State Department's advice] is another example of the escalation of the troubles over recent weeks and it questions [whether] Zimbabwe has the expertise, infrastructure and capability to deliver a safe and secure event," Bevan said. "Well, I can't see that being the case.

"I will be speaking with [the ICC chief executive] Malcolm Speed on a number of points, which hopefully will get to the right decision from our point of view, which is to move the fixture from Zimbabwe to South Africa.

"Foreign Office advice is very clear – if the demonstrations become mass demonstrations, then the danger to Zimbabwe people, the opposition supporters, the people at the game could be major on the basis that the army and police have a history of using brute force."

Those fears were underlined yesterday when Zimbabwean police used tear gas to break up a meeting called by Harare's opposition mayor, Elias Mudzuri, which had been arranged to discuss water shortages.

A Zimbabwean pressure group has announced that it will stage nationwide demonstrations to coincide with the tournament's official launch on 8 February. The National Constitutional Assembly chairman, Lovemore Madhuku, said: "It is our belief that the [Robert] Mugabe regime is not fit to play host to any international tournament of whatever sort."

Australia's players, who depart for the World Cup today, have "growing concerns" over their scheduled match in Bulawayo. The Australian Cricket Board's chief executive, James Sutherland, met the squad and Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive, Tim May, yesterday.

"I think it's fair to say we have growing concerns, but I don't want that to be exaggerated," May said. "That does not mean the players don't have confidence in the processes the ACA and ACB embark on in terms of considering security."

However, India have no reservations about their game in Harare on 19 February, according to their captain, Sourav Ganguly. "We toured Zimbabwe two years ago... We were looked after very well then, so we have no reservations about going there now," Ganguly said.

England's Barmy Army have conceded to security fears and issued a warning to supporters expected to make the trip. Throughout the recent tour of Australia, Barmy Army co-ordinators published a detailed itinerary on their website, advertising the best places for England supporters to stay and where to meet during and after the games.

But organisers already in South Africa have bowed to security advice and will not be publishing such details for the World Cup. Instead they will spread information by word of mouth at games.

South African police are angry at a Cape Town security firm which is advising World Cup tourists to carry a water pistol full of bleach to squirt into attackers' eyes. "People must disregard this ridiculous and absurd advice," a spokesman said. "I mean, how do you fight a firearm with bleach?"