LONDON, Jan 5: England’s plans to host the ICC World Twenty20 Championship in 2009 would be threatened if the UK government imposes a ban on the Zimbabwe side entering the country.

Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, told the BBC that it was a condition of hosting an ICC event that all member teams would be able to play.

“We haven’t yet had to deal with a situation whereby a country isn’t allowed by the host nation’s government to take part in an ICC event. If that happens, the board would have to meet and take whatever action it deems necessary.

“However, at the moment all we have are media reports, so I would say that all this remains speculative. The board next meets in March so to suggest what action might be taken would be premature.”

A source close to the ICC said that it was inconceivable that the competition would proceed without Zimbabwe and that contingency measures would be drawn up to enable the tournament to be switched should the need arise.

Zimbabwe are currently confined to play One-day Internationals after their Test status was suspended.

Meanwhile, Peter Chingoka, Zimbabwe Cricket’s beleagured chairman, is believed to be holding talks with Ray Mali, the acting president of the ICC.

Mali, as with most senior South African administrators, is a staunch supporter of Zimbabwe’s cause, but he will have been deeply embarrassed by Chingoka’s comments to the local media following a supposedly private meeting between the two of them and Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman.

An angry Clarke reported complained to the ICC about Chingoka’s remarks, which included a claim that Clarke had offered money in return for Zimbabwe cancelling their 2009 tour of England. Clarke denied that any offer had been made.

A source said that the backing for Zimbabwe which Chingoka has enjoyed from his colleagues on the ICC’s executive board is beginning to waver, and Chingoka’s own position is thought to have weakened in the light of ongoing allegations of financial mismanagement levelled against him.

Last summer a leaked document from Speed made some serious claims against the financial management of ZC, and an independent forensic audit commissioned by the ICC is due to be presented at the next executive board meeting. If, as some suggest, that endorses Speed’s concerns then Mali will be wary of publicly aligning too closely with Chingoka.

Chingoka has bullishly claimed of late that Zimbabwe will regain Test status by 2009, but his talks with Mali are likely to centre on more pressing matters.—Agencies