Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has dismissed calls to stop the Zimbabwe cricket team's tour of England.

Mr Straw said to cancel the tour would only punish "ordinary Zimbabweans".

Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak

Zimbabwe are scheduled to play two Tests, at Lord's and Durham, and a one-day triangular series against England and South Africa in May and June.

During a series of tough question time exchanges on the escalating problems in Zimbabwe, Tory MP Henry Bellingham upbraided the Government for sanctioning an event which would "only bolster" the Mugabe regime".

But Mr Straw told him: "I've always taken the view, so far as visiting sports people from Zimbabwe are concerned, if we had the powers to stop them from visiting we would be punishing ordinary Zimbabweans - we would not be punishing the regime."

To heckling from Tory benches, he added: "Henry Olonga - a great man - said it is right for the cricketers of his country to be here in the UK."

The fast bowler, who has been in exile here since his black-armband protest during the World Cup in February, has said the tour should go ahead.

Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said Monday's visit to Zimbabwe by a delegation of African leaders was a "belated but welcome initiative", but branded its outcome "predictably disappointing".

South African President Thabo Mbeki, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Malawi President Bakili Muluzi held talks aimed at resolving the crisis with President Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Calling for the "restoration of democracy and the rule of law", Mr Ancram said the situation was no longer "just a domestic problem, but a matter of regional security and humanitarian crisis."