Letter threatens Hussain and his team.

By Neal Collins

"Come to Zimbabwe and you will go home in wooden coffins."

That, apparently, is the line, in capitals, which has most shaken England as they prepare for Thursday's World Cup opener in Zimbabwe.

Oh, and the 'Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe' also said in their letter, kept under wraps for some days, that "you and your families will be under threat now and in the future".

Strangely, the South African police felt the need to roll out a top ranking copper to tell the world that the this threatening letter was nothing more than a hoax and represented no real threat to England's players.

But David Houghton, the former Zimbabwe captain who has consistently said England SHOULD go, finally admitted: "I'm shocked by what I have heard about this letter, how can anyone play cricket under those conditions."

On top of this, we had the brave Zimbabwean duo, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga emerging for their opening victory against Namibia wearing black armbands to, according to their statement, "mourn the death nof democracy in Zimbabwe".

Quite what their president Robert Mugabe will make of this, we have yet to find out.

And that, really, should be that. Nasser Hussain said that "Interpol or an ICC security consultant" had said the threats were real.

The ICC cannot expect England to play in Harare while they fear for their lives, whether that fear is real or imagined.

The points must be shared and the match abandoned... or there has to be a last-minute switch of venues.