ECB boss stays firm over tour

England boss David Morgan insists he will have "a clear conscience" when he leads Michael Vaughan and his team into Zimbabwe next week.

ECB chairman Morgan is accompanying Vaughan and Co throughout the controversial fortnight tour that includes five limited-overs internationals.

Captain Vaughan has made it plain he will be glad when the trip is over and has only agreed to go because he felt he "owed it to the team" to be with them in Zimbabwe. But Morgan clearly believes English cricket in general had even less room for manoeuvre because of a threat of suspension.

Sitting alongside Vaughan at a press conference this afternoon before the squad headed for a warm-up week in Namibia, the chairman was unrepentant

"I'll be going with a clear conscience but with great sympathy for the people of Zimbabwe and for the cricketers there," said Morgan before claiming once again that England could have been barred from world cricket if they had cancelled the tour.

"The moral and political issues are extremely difficult but the International Cricket Council have decided they cannot be taken into account regarding decisions about whether to tour or not to tour.

"The future tours programme has a regulation that means failure to meet commitments can result in suspension at the worst case scenario.

"Some people say England would never be suspended because we take so many people with us when we go abroad. But suspension could be for one home season - and that would cripple us."

Morgan and other ECB bosses have been accused of painting the worst possible financial outcome with senior Test player Graham Thorpe accusing Lord's of " bullying" Vaughan and Co

"I've made it absolutely clear that any player not wishing to go to Zimbabwe for reasons of personal conscience would not be penalised," said Morgan.

"Is that leaning on players?" Last year, England refused to play a World Cup match in Harare. The key difference, according to Morgan, is that 20 months ago England received a letter threatening their players with violence.

As the situation stands, though, England will spend a fortnight in Harare with most if not all their players wishing they were somewhere else.

MIKE SMITH, the former Middlesex batsman who became the club's first XI scorer, has died following a heart attack. He was 62. Smith also made five one-day international appearances for England.