Australians won't have to shake Mugabe's hand: Bacher

POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa, Jan 31 AAP - World Cup boss Ali Bacher has vowed to protect Australian captain Ricky Ponting and his players from shaking the hand of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.

All they have to do is avoid him at the opening ceremony.

The defending champions arrived in Johannesburg yesterday to be greeted by a hail storm in South Africa's biggest city and another round of moral and political questions directed straight at Australia's one-day skipper.

Both made him duck for cover.

Opening batsman Matthew Hayden had already ruled out shaking Mugabe's hand with an emphatic "No" and vice-captain vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, admitting he was worried how the gesture might be perceived, said it would be "awkward."

Players don't want to be seen to be supporting Mugabe's rule by shaking his hand.

Photographs and television footage of the moment would convey congeniality and linking the player with a man widely blamed for Zimbabwe's chronic food shortages, gross unemployment, debilitating economic and political crises and worse.

Asked about the dreaded hand-shake, Ponting, wishing conversation would turn to another topic - the cricket - replied: "That is a purely hypothetical situation. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Earlier, Bacher had revealed a decision was made three months ago that "there will be no shaking of politicians hands - only at the opening ceremony (on February 8)".

Meanwhile, Australia's February 24 match at Bulawayo remains on the schedule after yesterday's International Cricket Council (ICC) executive board teleconference, which rejected New Zealand's bid to have its game against Kenya shifted back to South Africa.

Australia, England and the Netherlands raised security concerns about Zimbabwe on behalf of their players during the 13-nation hook-up.

They didn't formally request a relocation but that may still come after the ICC provides another briefing next week on all security arrangements in Zimbabwe, which have been modelled on the Sydney Olympics.

"It is not the political issue that concerns me," said Ponting.

"Player safety is the only issue as far as I'm concerned and we have no reason not to trust the Australian Cricket Board.

"They have served us well in the past ... and nothing has changed."

Team manager Steve Bernard added: "At the moment we're still going to Zimbabwe but the issue will be discussed further. It's a case of steady as she goes."

More trouble could be brewing, though, after police in Harare were forced to use tear gas yesterday to break up a meeting called by the opposition mayor, and civic groups warned of nationwide protests against Mugabe during the Cup.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) - a coalition of church and student groups, rights organisations and political parties - said it planned nationwide pro-democracy protests.

"The aim is not to disrupt the cricket World Cup, but with or without the cricket games the program will go on," NCA spokesman Douglas Mwonzora told reporters.

"If the games are disrupted as (a result) of our program then that is regrettable, but we are not going to suspend our program."

Zimbabwe's consul-general in South Africa, Godfrey Dzvairo, told Reuters: "We are aware that there will be efforts to disrupt the cricket matches.

"But, apart from those efforts which have been mounted by various opposition organisations, we believe we have taken the necessary steps to protect the general population, spectators, fans and the cricketers themselves.'

New Zealand asked the ICC to move its match against Kenya on February 21 away from Nairobi but was denied by a 10-2 vote.

The Kiwis wanted to play elsewhere after receiving intelligence reports of terrorist activity in Kenya following a car bomb which killed 18 people in Mombasa last year.