By Oliver Brett BBC Sport at Lord's

Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak (left) and his squad arrived in London this morning

Zimbabwe cricket chief Peter Chingoka has insisted his players have a legitimate right to play their sport in the UK.

Chingoka, chairman of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, said he could not understand why cricketers from his country had become the target for political demonstrators.

A news conference, held at Lord's shortly after the Zimbabwe team arrived ahead of a two-Test series and one-day tournament, was expected to be ambushed by demonstrators.

In the event, a small group of only 10 protesters, led by Stop the Tour organiser Peter Tatchell, arrived for a muted demonstration after the conference ended.

Chingoka said: "We are not involved in politics - our job is to develop cricket in a country facing economic hardship. It is a duty we take very seriously.

Tatchell (right) is planning further demonstrations

"There are no sporting sanctions in place that restrict Zimbabwe athletes and teams from competing fairly around the world.

"Unfortunately, there is a campaign being mounted in this country to stop the tour proceding and it's very unfortunate that cricket is being targeted in this way at a time when economic relations between Zimbabwe and the UK continue to flourish.

"Our message to any group or individual who would seek to use this tour as a focus for protest is that we have a legitimate right to play cricket in the UK."

A number of fixtures look set to be targeted by demonstrators who claim the tour is implicitly supporting the regime of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe.

Mixed feelings for Flower

Some critics have suggested that the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) concern over the financial implications of cancelling the tour have led to their decision to go ahead.

But ECB chief executive Tim Lamb earlier refuted those suggestions.

"It upsets me when people say we are putting money before morality," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"I think there are double standards here. It is unfair for cricket to have to make political decisions."

ECB ready for Zimbabwe protests

However, Lamb did admit that the ECB would have been hit hard financially by pulling out.

"We need to generate revenue to do the things we do from the playground to Test arena and without the money from the Test arena we can't do those things," he said.

"Of our revenue, 90% comes from international cricket and that is how we put money into the grass roots of the game and nurture the game for future generations of cricket."

The ECB lost part of their World Cup profits when they refused to travel to Harare to play their scheduled group game against Zimbabwe following heavy pressure from Mugabe's opponents.

Full tour itinerary