Canberra: Prime Minister John Howard urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to cancel Australia’s tour of Zimbabwe on Friday, reiterating that September’s planned trip to the African nation would hand “grubby” President Robert Mugabe a moral victory.

The Australian government said it was investigating legal ways to cancel the tour without World Cup champions Australia incurring a US $2 million (euro1.48 million) fine from ICC.

Howard said the law was not entirely clear on whether the government could direct the team not to tour the African nation, where life expectancy has plunged and inflation has soared under Robert Mugabe’s regime. (AP)