ENGLAND'S controversial tour to Zimbabwe is hanging in the balance after the team failed to board their flight to Harare and chose to stay in South Africa while further discussions took place about media access.

The Zimbabwe government's decision on Tuesday to deny various British media organisations accreditation and entry to the country sparked a dramatic day of events at Johannesburg airport, where the team had stopped in transit to Zimbabwe from a week's acclimatisation in Namibia.

But instead of boarding their flight last night, the team were instead ordered to stay in Johannesburg while England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman David Morgan continued negotiations with his Zimbabwe counterparts.

Foreign Office Minister Denis Macshane had earlier summoned the Zimbabwean Charge D'Affaires in London to the Foreign Office to express Britain's "deep concern" over the ban.

Mr Macshane said: "The UK has long been an advocate of media freedom in Zimbabwe. This applies as much to sports journalism as any other kind.

"I will urge the government of Zimbabwe to allow access to all British journalists who have sought access to Zimbabwe to cover the tour."

The tour squad were in discussions with Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, when Mr Morgan made the call from Zimbabwe, informing them that John Carr, the ECB's director of cricket operations, would fly from Harare to join them in Johannesburg today to give them a further briefing.

"We were discussing the issues when the call came in from David Morgan," Mr Bevan said.

"A political statement has been made by the Zimbabwe government regarding media accreditation. We have a number of concerns and we need to communicate with our colleagues in Zimbabwe, which we will be doing overnight."

This leg of England's winter has been condemned by politicians and pressure groups who have been long-standing opponents of President Robert Mugabe's regime, which has already caused Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison to withdraw on moral grounds.

England's attempts to do the same failed because of the Future Tours Agreement between member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the game's governing body, which states tours can only be cancelled on safety and security grounds or government instructions.

"The ICC understands the decision of the ECB to allow its players to remain in South Africa overnight," ICC president Eshan Mani said.

"There are serious concerns about the issue of media accreditation. But until further information is available, it is difficult to effectively address the issue.

"As well as urgently seeking a solution from within Zimbabwe, I am in the process of speaking to the other directors of the ICC to determine their views on this issue."

Captain Michael Vaughan revealed on Tuesday he was against the decision to ban sections of the media, and Duncan Fletcher, England's Zimbabwe-born coach, followed suit yesterday and sympathised with the major decisions now facing the ECB.

Hugh Morris, the ECB's acting chief executive, has also been active back at Lord's and is awaiting an answer to an e-mail he has sent to ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, who is in the Far East, to clarify whether the media ban would constitute non-compliance to the Future Tours Programme and thus avoid possible penalties.

England have already sought assurances from the ICC that any players wanting to withdraw from the tour as a matter of conscience will not be penalised - but Zimbabwe were remaining firm in their stance.