Cricket Australia are closely monitoring the security situation in Zimbabwe ahead of the national team’s upcoming tour of the country for a T20I tri-series also involving Pakistan.
Australia are slated to take part in the tri-series at Harare which gets underway on July 1 with the finals taking place on July 8.
The country of Zimbabwe is currently preparing for a landmark election which is set to take place on July 30. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has called for the elections to bolster his government’s legitimacy, was the subject of a failed assassination attempt over the course of the weekend in Bulawyo.
Mnangagwa survived a deadly bomb blast which occurred during a rally held by his party at the Bulawyo stadium.
Pakistan are the third side in the T20 tournament.
Following the blast, Cricket Australia has issued a statement that it is monitoring the situation closely although the board still expects the tour to go ahead.
“The safety and security of our players and support staff is paramount and as always, we will take advice from the relevant Australian authorities,” a Cricket Australia spokesman said.
Australia are currently in England where they are set to take on the hosts in a one-off T20I clash at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday. Post the fixture, a 14-man Australia squad led by Aaron Finch will depart for Zimbabwe for the tri-series at Harare.