Britain would back a ban on a tour next year by the Zimbabwe cricket team in protest at President Robert Mugabe’s regime, but a blanket boycott of all athletes from the troubled African nation was ruled out yesterday.

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, is behind the ECB in its quest to cancel plans to play two five-day matches and three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe in Britain next summer, according to Downing Street sources. But, contrary to a BBC report, the Government is not considering banning all Zimbabwean sportsmen and women from competing in Britain in a bid to step up the pressure on Mugabe.

Such a radical move would have raised complicated issues regarding individuals of Zimbabwean nationality pursuing their profession in Britain but not representing their country. Examples cited were Cara Black, the tennis player, defending her Wimbledon doubles title this summer, Benjani Mwaruwari continuing to play for Manchester City and Nick Price, the golfer, competing at the Open Championship.

It would also have proved unworkable in 2012, when London hosts the Olympic Games, because Britain has signed a contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that requires it to welcome all Olympic nations including Zimbabwe.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister denied that any proposal for a blanket ban had been circulating in Whitehall. “We continue to discuss Zimbabwe with the ECB,” he said. “This is a matter for them. If they decide they want to ban Zimbabwe, that’s a decision we would support.”

Brown’s strongly held views about the Mugabe regime were echoed publicly last month by David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, who said that a cricket tour to England by Zimbabwe would be inappropriate.

“The situation in Zimbabwe is obviously deeply concerning,” he said. “I think that bilateral cricket tours at the moment don’t send the right message about our concern.”

A spokesman for the Foreign Office went farther, saying: “International sports should never be a way for dictators to publicise their misrule. If the situation does not improve in Zimbabwe, we would not want to see the Zimbabwe team tour here in 2009, nor the England team tour there in 2012.”

Bright Matonga, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Information Minister, raised the temperature by accusing Britain of a “racist ploy”. He said: “If we had an all-white team, they would have allowed it to tour. Sport should be a unifying force, not a political battle-ground.” The IOC declined to comment on a “hypothetical” scenario.

Britain would back a ban on a tour next year by the Zimbabwe cricket team in protest at President Robert Mugabe's regime, but a blanket boycott of all athletes from the troubled African nation was ruled out yesterday.

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, is behind the ECB in its quest to cancel plans to play two five-day matches and three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe in Britain next summer, according to Downing Street sources. But, contrary to a BBC report, the Government is not considering banning all Zimbabwean sportsmen and women from competing in Britain in a bid to step up the pressure on Mugabe.

Such a radical move would have raised complicated issues regarding individuals of Zimbabwean nationality pursuing their profession in Britain but not representing their country. Examples cited were Cara Black, the tennis player, defending her Wimbledon doubles title this summer, Benjani Mwaruwari continuing to play for Manchester City and Nick Price, the golfer, competing at the Open Championship.

It would also have proved unworkable in 2012, when London hosts the Olympic Games, because Britain has signed a contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that requires it to welcome all Olympic nations including Zimbabwe.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister denied that any proposal for a blanket ban had been circulating in Whitehall. “We continue to discuss Zimbabwe with the ECB,” he said. “This is a matter for them. If they decide they want to ban Zimbabwe, that's a decision we would support.”

Brown's strongly held views about the Mugabe regime were echoed publicly last month by David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, who said that a cricket tour to England by Zimbabwe would be inappropriate.

“The situation in Zimbabwe is obviously deeply concerning,” he said. “I think that bilateral cricket tours at the moment don't send the right message about our concern.”

A spokesman for the Foreign Office went farther, saying: “International sports should never be a way for dictators to publicise their misrule. If the situation does not improve in Zimbabwe, we would not want to see the Zimbabwe team tour here in 2009, nor the England team tour there in 2012.”

Bright Matonga, Zimbabwe's Deputy Information Minister, raised the temperature by accusing Britain of a “racist ploy”. He said: “If we had an all-white team, they would have allowed it to tour. Sport should be a unifying force, not a political battleground.” The IOC declined to comment on a “hypothetical” scenario.

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