The Ulster Grasshoppers toured Zimbabwe in 1987, 1990 and 1995 and the experiences they had there will remain with them forever. It was one of the most challenging and incredibly rewarding trips. Billeted in the farms along side many of the opposition players they experienced a country that loved its cricket, welcomed visitors and was one of the most beautiful in the world.

On Sunday Robert Mugabe was sworn in for his sixth term in government after a brutal campaign of intimidation. Started before the first election it increased in intensity after the first round of voting. A text doing the rounds in Harare at the time mocked the government by announcing ‘We apologise for the late publishing of the results as rigging them has proved more difficult than expected'. Nobody is laughing now. Having safely gathered in all the results the ruling Zanu-PF party could see who had voted against them and they set off with gusto into those areas to ‘persuade' them to reconsider voting against them in the run off elections.

On any normal reckoning Mugabe's economic record would be enough to see him off. In 1983 the Z$ was worth 1US$. The US dollar at the time of the Ulster grasshoppers touring there in 1995 was worth around Z$8. Now it would take over Z$40,000,000 to buy you one US Dollar.

In desperate times Mugabe's Zanu-PF party always play the race card. The way many farmers had their land taken from them highlighted their unique take on redistribution of wealth. The farms were seized by lynch mobs stirred up by Mugabe claiming they were only taking back what was rightfully theirs. The saddest thing was the fact that the workers who lost the most were the farmhands and other agricultural workers who lived on the farms and had no other means of employment. These people fought hard to protect their homes their livelihoods and ultimately their loved ones in a battle stirred up by race hatred and one which pitched black against black. The farms seized were not given to the workers but to Zanu-PF cronies in Government. The resulting famine devastated the land but it was a famine not caused by the weather.

This week government spokesman George Charamba brushed off the West's criticism saying they had no basis to criticise and to 'go hang a thousand times.'

Cricket is the only sport that Zimbabwe has world renown. For those that say sport and politics don't mix, think again. During the world cup in 2003 two Zimbabwe players, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga wore black armbands to symbolise the death of democracy in the country. Their brave statement at the time said:

'We cannot in good conscience take to the field and ignore the fact that millions of our compatriots are starving, unemployed and oppressed.
We are aware that hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans may even die in the coming months through a combination of starvation, poverty and Aids.
We are aware that many people have been unjustly imprisoned and tortured simply for expressing their opinions about what is happening in the country.
We have heard a torrent of racist hate speech directed at minority groups.
We are aware that thousands of Zimbabweans are routinely denied their right to freedom of expression.
We are aware that people have been murdered, raped, beaten and had their homes destroyed because of their beliefs and that many of those responsible have not been prosecuted.
We are also aware that many patriotic Zimbabweans oppose us even playing in the World Cup because of what is happening.
It is impossible to ignore what is happening in Zimbabwe. Although we are just professional cricketers, we do have a conscience and feelings.
We believe that if we remain silent that will be taken as a sign that either we do not care or we condone what is happening in Zimbabwe.
We believe that it is important to stand up for what is right.
We have struggled to think of an action that would be appropriate and that would not demean the game we love so much.
We have decided that we should act alone without other members of the team being involved because our decision is deeply personal and we did not want to use our senior status to unfairly influence more junior members of the squad.
We would like to stress that we greatly respect the ICC and are grateful for all the hard work it has done in bringing the World Cup to Zimbabwe.
In all the circumstances, we have decided that we will each wear a black armband for the duration of the World Cup.
In doing so we are mourning the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe.
In doing so we are making a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe.
In doing so we pray that our small action may help to restore sanity and dignity to our nation.'

Cricket South Africa who traditionally has been a strong supporter of Zimbabwe cricket has severed its bilateral links with the country. The ECB have followed suit and cancelled the 2009 tour. This has put the future of the 20/20 world cup at risk. As long as Zimbabwe is a member of the ICC, the team cannot be stopped by the ECB from competing in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament, to be held in England after the planned Tests and one-day internationals. But if England bars Zimbabwe from touring, the ICC could prevent England from hosting the tournament.

In January 2006 the Zimbabwean government took control of the cricket board after players went on strike after they hadn't been paid. Peter Chingoka remained in charge of Zimbabwe Cricket along with Osias Bvute as Managing Director despite previously being questioned by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe amid allegations of financial misconduct.

The ICC now needs to deal with the issue of Zimbabwe as it has sat on its hands for so long. The ICC meets in Dubai tomorrow (02/07/08) in an attempt to resolve the matter. Fearing the worst Peter Chingoka who is close to the Mugabe government has written to outgoing ICC president Ray Mali and has predictably produced the race card accusing him of ‘setting double standards and discriminatory levels that go against the ICC's anti-racism code.'

I would urge the ICC not to fudge the issue but to grasp it and take a hard line. For far too long deals have been done in the corridors of power in the ICC where the Asian block have used the Zimbabwe vote to press its own agenda. India is now the powerhouse of world cricket. With power comes responsibility and it will be interesting to see if they can show leadership on this issue. In the same way that a sporting boycott helped bring down the apartheid regime it will take something similar to highlight the human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

Not only should Zimbabwe be suspended from Test Cricket but from all One Day International cricket. Funding from the ICC should stop immediately to Zimbabwe cricket and they should be banned from all global competitions.

This is not about Ireland, Scotland, Kenya or anyone else taking their place or receiving funding in their absence, far from it. This is about doing the right thing for cricket and for the future of cricket in Zimbabwe.