Grenada PM warns of Zimbabwe safety issues

The future of the West Indies A-team tour of Zimbabwe was thrown into more doubt with a statement from Keith Mitchell, the Grenada prime minister, that in his view it is not safe for the side to travel.

"The West Indies A team has many very young players who need to be developed in a nurturing environment. I am not convinced that given the instability existing in Zimbabwe that this tour will provide this kind of environment. I am sure that the parents and guardians of these players will be concerned about them touring Zimbabwe."

Mitchell stated that while he understood the need for the WICB and the ICC to broaden the appeal of cricket by taking games to as many countries as possible, player safety should be one of the most important considerations in deciding on venues.

Cricinfo has learned that the WICB is still calling round players trying to get them to join the tour, although given that an announcement of the squad has still not been made, despite assurances last week that it would be, there remain questions as to whether the board has enough players.

The mood among the West Indies players is reportedly one of suspicion about the board's motives, and that was not helped when Bruce Aanensen, the WICB chief executive, described them a few days ago as "incompetent".