well, this is quite amazing
ABC Australia
MacGill backed over Zimbabwe boycott
Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie says Stuart MacGill has the full support of the other Australian players and the ACB, after he withdrew from the tour to Zimbabwe on moral grounds.
Gillespie says he knew of MacGill's dilemma, regarding the political situation in Zimbabwe, after several conversations with him in Sri Lanka.
As for himself, Gillespie says he is a professional cricketer and therefore will go to Zimbabwe, but he says he is aware of his role.
"I don't see how Australia going over to Zimbabwe will be seen as endorsing what's going on over in Zimbabwe," he said.
"We're going over as cricketers to play cricket and promote the game on world-wide scale, and if we can do that and just enjoy our cricket and the Zimbabwean players enjoy their cricket, I think that'll do more good than harm."
MacGill has had lengthy discussions with Cricket Australia over the past week, but decided in the past few days that he couldn't tour Zimbabwe, on moral grounds.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland says it was a personal decision.
"He's uncomfortable with the political regime in that country," he said. "He is uncomfortable with issues around the sufferance of the Zimbabwean people."
Mr Sutherland says he is confident the remaining members of the side will make the tour, and says MacGill's future selection will not be influenced by his refusal to play.
Good on MacGill for making this stand.
As for Gillespies incredibly naive comments - if he can't see how this could be seen as saying that the situation in Zimbabwe is ok, I would have to think that he has been hit in the head a couple of times with a cricket ball.
Would Gillespie say that it would be ok to play in , say, Iraq prior to the invasion? or would he actually see how doing that could be seen as saying that the situation there was a good one?
Or how about South Africa in the apartheid days, would it have been ok to play there?
If Gillespie wants to play because he doen't want to lose money thats fine - but don't try to justify it by putting another team mates decision down.
MacGill backed over Zimbabwe boycott
Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie says Stuart MacGill has the full support of the other Australian players and the ACB, after he withdrew from the tour to Zimbabwe on moral grounds.
Gillespie says he knew of MacGill's dilemma, regarding the political situation in Zimbabwe, after several conversations with him in Sri Lanka.
As for himself, Gillespie says he is a professional cricketer and therefore will go to Zimbabwe, but he says he is aware of his role.
"I don't see how Australia going over to Zimbabwe will be seen as endorsing what's going on over in Zimbabwe," he said.
"We're going over as cricketers to play cricket and promote the game on world-wide scale, and if we can do that and just enjoy our cricket and the Zimbabwean players enjoy their cricket, I think that'll do more good than harm."
MacGill has had lengthy discussions with Cricket Australia over the past week, but decided in the past few days that he couldn't tour Zimbabwe, on moral grounds.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland says it was a personal decision.
"He's uncomfortable with the political regime in that country," he said. "He is uncomfortable with issues around the sufferance of the Zimbabwean people."
Mr Sutherland says he is confident the remaining members of the side will make the tour, and says MacGill's future selection will not be influenced by his refusal to play.
Good on MacGill for making this stand.
As for Gillespies incredibly naive comments - if he can't see how this could be seen as saying that the situation in Zimbabwe is ok, I would have to think that he has been hit in the head a couple of times with a cricket ball.
Would Gillespie say that it would be ok to play in , say, Iraq prior to the invasion? or would he actually see how doing that could be seen as saying that the situation there was a good one?
Or how about South Africa in the apartheid days, would it have been ok to play there?
If Gillespie wants to play because he doen't want to lose money thats fine - but don't try to justify it by putting another team mates decision down.