People need to know how serious this situation is The ECB's John Read

They are worried about potential harm to their chances if the England and Wales Cricket Board cancel the tour.

Zimbabwe Cricket Union chairman Peter Chingoka's brother is head of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee.

"It's another factor which adds to the intrinsic complexity of the dilemma we face," said the ECB's John Read.

He has warned of dire consequences facing English cricket if a boycott of the tour, which at one stage seemed certain, is confirmed.

It could lead to a �1m fine, the loss of the ICC Champions Trophy tournament, in which England have been put in the same first round group as Zimbabwe, and a three-match one-day series against India.

Even more serious, however, is the threat of a suspension from the International Cricket Council, the game's world governing body.

ECB DECISION MAKERS THE MANAGEMENT BOARD David Morgan (chairman), David Acfield, Dennis Amiss (Warks), Rod Bransgrove (Hants), David Collier (Notts), David East (Essex), Phil Edmonds (Middlesex), David Stewart (Surrey), Peter Gooden, Bob Jackson, Roger Knight (MCC), Tim Lamb, Roger Moylan-Jones, John Pickup, Michael Soper, Des Wilson.

ICC president Ehsan Mani regards the Zimbabwe question and the Champions Trophy as separate issues and has indicated his view that England should keep the tournament, whatever the ECB's decision.

But Read told BBC Sport that any ban on England could be imposed to begin after the Champions Trophy.

The ICC's rules do not stipulate a specific time period for any suspension, but Read believes a one-year ban would cost the English game tens of millions of pounds.

"It would be reckless of the ECB to take the view that the new regulation the ICC has brought in would not be invoked.

"It's important the general public and the media understand the rock and a hard place scenario the ECB faces.

"It's a case of damned if we do, and damned if we don't."

The ECB believes a letter sent to them by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw earlier this year was "tantamount to an instruction" to cancel the tour.

Chingoka will seek compensation if England pull out

Their compliance is no longer guaranteed.

"It's not an open and shut case as to what the decision will be," said Read.

But if the ECB do agree to boycott Zimbabwe, they hope to prove a case of government 'force majeure' which would save them from any ICC penalty.

They will discuss the matter further with a three-man Zimbabwe delegation at Lord's on 20 April.

But Chingoka insists there is no valid reason for the tour to be called off.

"The Zimbabwe players have a right to be playing against all the teams from across the world," he said.