England's cricket tour of Zimbabwe has been shortened from five matches to four, after the first match was postponed due to a dispute over visas for several British journalists.
England and Wales Cricket Board chief David Morgan said Friday that it would not be realistic for England to play a full one-day international match within hours of its arrival in Zimbabwe.
The English players arrived in Harare today. The team stayed in South Africa until the dispute over the reporters' credentials was resolved.
Zimbabwean Cricket Board chairman Peter Chingoka opposed the decision, saying it would cause a financial loss for the African nation. The first match of the tour is set for Sunday in Harare.
On Tuesday, Zimbabwe refused visas to 13 British journalists covering the tour, including the BBC, the London Times and the Daily Mirror. The dispute was resolved when Zimbabwean authorities changed their stance and said that improper credential applications caused the problem.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.
