Australian govt doubts Zimbabwe will accept venue offer

SYDNEY, May 14 (Reuters) The Australian government says it would be surprised if Zimbabwe accepted an offer to play Australia's world champion cricket team at a neutral venue.

The Australian government ordered the national team to boycott their scheduled tour of Zimbabwe in September in protest at Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's regime.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said Australia would be willing to play the Zimbabweans at a neutral venue, but Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told reporters that was unlikely to happen.

''It seems to me highly unlikely that the Zimbabwe Cricket Union would want to play the game in another country,'' Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio today.

''For them, I suspect, and at least for the Zimbabwean government, it would be seen to be humiliating to acknowledge that they're not able to play against the top cricket team within their own country.

''My guess is that this won't come about.'' Australia Prime Minister John Howard said the government had taken the initiative to ban the players from touring because it was unfair to leave the decision to sportsmen.

A number of senior players said they were glad the goverment had taken the decision out of their hands.

Opening batsman Matthew Hayden, who was leading runscorer in the 2007 World Cup won by Australia, said he had been thinking about pulling out anyway if the tour had gone ahead.

''I was seriously considering my position this time, as to whether I would go if the tour went ahead,'' Hayden told The Australian.

Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who was named man of the match in the World Cup final, said he was also relieved the government had made the decision but he would be willing to play Zimbabwe on neutral soil.

''If we can play them elsewhere - if our government and administrators allow us to do that - then I'm very supportive of the idea,'' Gilchrist told the same newspaper.

''Their cricketers should not be affected by their regime.'' Reuters PDS VP0755