THE Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) has been cleared of a charge of racism by two senior judges, leaving only safety and security, or the individual consciences of players, as possible reasons for England’s tour to Zimbabwe not to take place next month. Two one-day internationals in Harare and three in Bulawayo are planned between November 26 and December 5.

Richard Bevan, the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s chief executive, much of whose time is spent as adviser to the England team, flew to Harare yesterday evening with John Carr, the ECB’s cricket operations manager, to assess the security arrangements for the tour.

Although highly critical of the conduct of legal counsel for both the ZCU and the 15 white players who were sacked by the board, the two judges found no evidence of racial discrimination in selection policies, the main reason for the players originally taking the stand that they did. The ICC had asked Goolam Vahanvati, India’s Solicitor-General, and Steve Majiedt, a South Africa High Court judge, to conduct the inquiry into racism.

The reports finds that the ZCU policies for the integration of cricket in Zimbabwe are based on sound principles and generally accepted by all stakeholders but that there is discontent regarding the selection process and the funtioning of some ZCU directors that needs to be addressed.

The judges recommended several improvements, including: broad-based selection in Zimbabwe in terms of the integration policy and without any regional bias; taking immediate steps to ensure that competent selectors are appointed; that the ZCU should immediately investigate and attend to the complaint that national selectors do not attend matches in certain regions; and that they should take steps to set up a players’ association with a representative to act as a liaison between the players and the board. Integration should be implemented with “tact and restraint”.

The report found “absolutely no evidence of racism”, according to Ehsan Mani, the ICC president, speaking after a two-day meeting of the ICC’s executive board in Lahore. He said that he was now keen for the ICC’s disputes procedure to begin quickly to enable an alternative process of arbitration.

The players, among them Heath Streak, the former captain, remain in limbo as far as international cricket is concerned, with the exception of three of the younger ones, Barney Rogers, Charles Coventry and Gavin Ewing, who were recently offered central contracts by the ZCU. Bevan, who has been closely in touch with Fica, praised the judges for a “balanced report” but added: “I cannot understand why the they did not insist on evidence from Vince Hogg, who was at the centre of the dispute as the former chief executive.”

Zimbabwe are temporarily suspended from Test cricket, but an ICC spokesman said last night that they are now free to play their scheduled Test series against Bangladesh and South Africa early next year.

“We have a number of meetings over the four days — with the British Embassy, the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, government officials and police,” Bevan said. “Our main questions will be if any demonstrations will be expected and also seeing if fans are going to be welcome. The tour can be stopped on safety and security issues. There is already building up in the media a very anti-Britain issue. I’ve yet to be convinced of our safety and security.”

David Collier, the ECB’s chief executive elect, told BBC Radio yesterday: “I think it’s an impossible situation. Nobody within the ECB condones the regime. The future tours plan has only two forms of acceptable non-compliance — government instruction or safety and security. The Government have made it clear they can’t instruct the ECB not to go at this time. The ECB have been told by lawyers they wouldn’t be fulfilling their duty under English law if they knowingly put the game in the position of probable bankruptcy.”

The ICC’s executive board decided to review the format of the Champions Trophy and considered a number of alternatives to the present five-year calendar for international cricket, including extending the calendar to six years and the option of introducing a modified programme for the two weakest members, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. No decisions will be taken until next March at the earliest. Malcolm Speed, the chief executive, will decide in November where the ICC’s main offices will move to. Based in London since 1909, it will go to either Dubai, Switzerland, Singapore or Malaysia.