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New Zealand's Parliament passed a resolution on Tuesday calling on the International Cricket Council (ICC) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to cancel the Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe.
Members of the squad left on Monday for a pre-tour training camp in Namibia before the controversial trip to Zimbabwe, which will contain two tests and a triangular one-day tournament that also includes India.
The visit to the southern-African country has come under intense political scrutiny, with New Zealand's government leading an international push to have Zimbabwe banned from the tour schedule due to concerns over human rights abuses under President Robert Mugabe.
"The New Zealand government, along with most political parties in this house has continuously urged New Zealand Cricket to abandon the Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe," Prime Minster Helen Clark told Parliament on Tuesday.
"Most New Zealanders agree that playing cricket in Zimbabwe at this time of profound crisis is entirely inappropriate.
"New Zealand Cricket has been undoubtedly placed in a difficult position by the International Cricket Council. It is obliged to carry out the tour or face crippling financial penalties.
"The New Zealand government has asked the International Cricket Council to cancel the tour and to change its rules so that tours can be called off on the grounds of gross human rights violations.
"The International Cricket Council has refused and made it clear that the impositions of penalties on New Zealand Cricket could only be avoided if the government passes legislation here in New Zealand making the tour to Zimbabwe illegal.
"The government is not prepared to support such legislation. Freedom of passage to and from this country is a basic right enjoyed by New Zealanders.
"Through this motion the New Zealand Parliament urges New Zealand Cricket and the International Cricket Council to heed the call of public opinion in New Zealand and around the world and to abandon the Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe."
The motion was passed 110-10.
SECURITY CONCERNS
The ICC has said the tour could only be cancelled because of security concerns or if the New Zealand government passed legislation preventing the team from going.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) would be hit by a minimum ICC fine of $2 million if they cancelled the tour for any other reason.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff had sought confirmation from the ICC earlier this month as to whether a Parliamentary resolution would be sufficient to cancel the tour or whether new legislation would have to be passed.
ICC President Ehsan Mani replied in a statement that "where a government did not legally prevent its cricket team from playing against another country, the cricket board would still expect to fulfil its obligations (to tour)".
The ICC's stance confirming that legislation would be required to halt a tour of Zimbabwe has been modified from last year when Mani said that a government directive could prevent a team from fulfilling their obligations under the future tours programme without incurring financial penalties.
