The International Cricket Council has confirmed that Zimbabwe will stage six matches in the 2003 World Cup, following a visit to the country by a nine-man security delegation last month.

The ICC has come under pressure in recent weeks to move the matches elsewhere on account of the political situation in Zimbabwe. Just two days ago the junior foreign office minister in the UK, Mike O'Brien, said the games should not go ahead. However the sports minister, Richard Caborn, has insisted that it is a matter for the ICC to decide whether the games should be played, not politicians.

Announcing the decision at Lord's this afternoon, the ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed repeated his insistence that the political situation in Zimbabwe had not been a factor. He said it was based upon the approval of the IDI (ICC Development International, the commercial arm of the ICC).

"IDI Board members have endorsed the security delegation's report, which focused exclusively on safety and security issues for the staging of World Cup matches in Zimbabwe next year," Speed said. "On the evidence obtained and assurances given during the inspection visit, we believe it will be safe to play these games and that the original schedule of matches can now be confirmed."

The extensive report by the IDI security delegation has concluded that Zimbabwe is a safe and secure country for players, officials, media and spectators, provided that sensible travel arrangements are made and followed. The report also stresses that individuals need to use their own judgement about safety, and that consular advice should be sought and followed.

Seven countries - Australia, England, Holland, India, Namibia, Pakistan and Zimbabwe – are due to play World Cup games in Bulawayo and Harare in February and March.

"The recent visit to Zimbabwe gave every country due to play there, and other key stakeholders, the chance to assess the situation at first hand," said Speed. "Ultimately, it allowed a professionally considered and fact-based judgment to be made about the safety and security position in the country."

The ICC president, Malcolm Gray, insisted that it was for politicians, rather than sports administrators, to respond to the political situation in Zimbabwe.

"While some countries have imposed specific sanctions on Zimbabwe, no government in any part of the world has identified sporting sanctions as an appropriate tool to achieve a political outcome," Gray said.

"Zimbabwe has competed in recent high profile international sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games and the Davis Cup, and its players continue to represent their country in golf."

The England and Wales Cricket Board was the first to confirm that it would fulfil its commitment to play against Zimbabwe in Harare on February 13th, 2003. The ECB's chief executive, Tim Lamb, was a member of the security delegation.

Lamb said: "The British Government has not instructed us not to go and, indeed, there are over 300 British companies currently trading in Zimbabwe who, similarly, have not been instructed to cease their commercial activities. There is no logical reason, therefore, why ECB as a commercial business should be singled out and penalised in comparison to those other commercial organisations.

"As a national governing body for sport, the ECB does not consider it appropriate to make political judgements about the acceptability or otherwise of foreign governments. On the other hand, it does have a responsibility for the safety of its players and management. And we take this very seriously," he added.

The ICC's World Cup security directorate will regularly monitor the progress of the Security Plan in Zimbabwe, providing the ICC with two-weekly updates on its implementation.

© CricInfo Ltd.