The future of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy is in grave doubt following the publication of an opinion poll in New Zealand on Monday. The poll found that 53% of those people questioned support the banning of New Zealand sporting teams from touring countries “that violate human rights”.
The New Zealand Black Caps are expected to play their Australian counterparts in three one-day internationals for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in December.
Australian Government representatives have not said whether the release of Peter Qasim after seven years of mandatory detention was related to the publication of the AC Nielsen Poll in the Fairfax press on Monday morning, and discussed by Mike on Cricket.
For more information on Australia’s human rights record see this Amnesty International report published last month.
Meanwhile, the ICC, on receiving word of the poll, is understood to be planning emergency talks with a view to cancelling the 2007 World Cup and awarding the title to the only country among the sixteen finalists which is not cited in reports by Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch. Namely, Bermuda.