Thank you for deciding to show the cricket matches in Zimbabwe. I suspect this might have been a difficult decision for you. As someone who is opposed to the reign of Robert Mugabe and is appalled by his callous acts against his own people I wish the tour was not taking place. However, now that the decision has been made I can look forward to watching Shane Bond in full flight without guilt. The joy of watching him bowling has nothing to do with politics or Zimbabwe or Robert Mugabe. It is simply the joy of watching a champion New Zealand sportsman in action.
The fact that the tour is being played shouldn’t reflect badly on cricket fans or on New Zealand Cricket. It should reflect badly on the ICC and the government. In deciding to show the cricket you have decided to do the right thing. Not showing it would have punished only the fans - who have done nothing wrong. Having said that, I believe we should all be doing what we can to make our concerns about the ICC and about Robert Mugabe's policies clear. If you are able to do this as part of your coverage or editorial broadcasts, I am sure the people of Zimbabwe would be grateful.
I note with interest that the New Zealand vs Zimbabwe test matches will also have a wide audience in Asia (see here). It would have been bizarre to deprive New Zealand fans of the images of New Zealand cricketers which will seen by millions through-out the world. I am one very pleased Sky subscriber.
The Dominion Post has not responded to my email. But then they have not replied to two previous emails either (except for a "point noted" with respect to the letter posted on this blog). On the other hand Sky's customer services department sent me a rather besieged sounding:
Thank you for your email. Your comments have been forwarded to our Sports department -- they will be pleased to get some positive and understanding feedback!
If you have a view one way or the other I encourage you to write. Sky can be contacted at sky@skytv.co.nz and the Dominion Post can be reached at news@dompost.co.nz.
4 comments:
I agree on every thing except one aspect: the fans perspective. Fans are the real shareholders of the game. I would love to watch Bond too but it is better for us fans to not watch such tours. That would be like supporting the government and ICC stand. We as fans should boycott such tours. When sponsors and tv networks see no one is watching such tours can we only hope to have an impact.
The problem is that not watching the cricket sends NO message. The tour is happening so Robert Mugabe has already got all the kudos he was seeking. Whether or not people in New Zealand choose to watch their tellies is now irrelevant unless the TV networks or advertisers involved have influence over the ICC or the New Zealand government. And they do not.
If people boycott watching tours, it makes a HUGE difference. People dont watch tours - then sponsors back out. If sponsors back out tv networks back out. Then ICC has no option but to back out.
It may not happen in this tour but ultimately it will if fans universally start boycotting Zimbabwe.
Possibly you are right. And possibly I am blinded by my desire to see some cricket and to see Shane Bond and am willing to bend ethical boundaries in order to do so without feeling guilty. And possibly I am also blinded by my annoyance at the hypocritical grandstanding of some New Zealand political parties. But I also do feel that the action you suggest really will have a greater impact on the innocent (cricket fans and cricket players) then on the guilty (the ICC, the NZ government, Robert Mugabe) and will do very, very little for the people of Zimbabwe.
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