Cricket: Ireland's chances of taking part in the Twenty20 World Cup in England next year received a boost this morning with the announcement that Zimbabwe has withdrawn from the tournament.
The International Cricket Council have been discussing the future of the country at a board meeting in Dubai after England and South Africa broke off cricketing relations last week.
However, Zimbabwe - who have the support of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - will not be suspended from international cricket.
The decision means that the top three teams, rather than the top two, in next month's ICC Associate qualifying tournament at Stormont will progress to the Twenty20 World Cup.
The ICU would be guaranteed a participation fee of €160,000 if Ireland qualify.
There had been calls for the ICC to remove Zimbabwe's full member status during their series of executive meetings this week.
That would have been a controversial move and would have required at least seven of the 10 full member countries to concur.
The majority of the sub-continental teams were against such a proposal and, as a result, a compromise has been reached which allows the World Twenty20 to go ahead without Zimbabwe.
Without such an agreement the tournament would have been thrown into chaos as the British Government had made it clear cricket teams representing Robert Mugabe's country were not welcome in the UK.
An alternative venue would have been needed though many arrangements had already been made and some tickets sold.
Zimbabwe Cricket Union president Peter Chingoka told AFP his country had voluntarily pulled out of the event.
"Zimbabwe has agreed not to participate in the Twenty20 World Championships in the wider interest of cricket," Chingoka said.
"But we will continue to be a full member of the ICC and welcome any team that wants to play against us.
"We voluntarily agreed to back out of the Twenty20 Worlds because we were told we won't get visas to England. We don't want to gate-crash where we are not welcome."