Dr Keith Mitchell - file

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada, CMC

Grenada's Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell has given the thumbs down to the West Indies A-team's controversial tour of Zimbabwe later this month.

Mitchell, the chairman of CARICOM's Prime Ministerial sub-committee on cricket, said he was not convinced the region's players would benefit from playing in the current unstable political and social climate in the troubled southern African nation.

"The West Indies A-team has many very young players who need to be developed in a nurturing environment," Mitchell said following his return from the Conference of the Caribbean meeting in the United States at the weekend.

"I am not convinced that given the instability existing in Zimbabwe that this tour will provide this kind of environment. I am sure that the parents and guardians of these players will be concerned about them touring Zimbabwe."

Major concerns

The West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players Association have remained at loggerheads over the proposed tour, scheduled to begin Saturday.

WIPA, the players' union, have refused to agree to the tour contending there were major concerns over players" safety.

Last week, however, the WICB told CMC Sports the tour would proceed as planned "unless the West Indies Players' Association provides us with overwhelming reasons why we shouldn't".

Players are scheduled to leave on June 30 for the series that includes three four-day and two limited overs matches.