The president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) told New Zealand on Tuesday that the sport's governing body will not exclude Zimbabwe from future tours.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Phil Goff, in a letter earlier this month, asked the ICC to change its policy on Zimbabwe because of concerns about human rights abuses under President Robert Mugabe.
Goff also asked that New Zealand be allowed to cancel its scheduled trip to Zimbabwe without facing a hefty fine.
But ICC president Ehsan Mani wrote back on Tuesday saying there would be no change to its Future Tours Programme (FTP) regulations.
"The board recognises that issues of the relationships between countries are driven by politicians and governments that are elected by the people to deal with these political issues," Mani wrote in his letter.
Mani said that while the ICC recognises that governments will from time to time try to use sporting sanctions as a foreign policy tool, cricket's governing body would not be drawn into this.
"This view in no way endorses the political regime or policies in any of our member countries," Mani said.
"It simply reflects the reality that it is for governments and politicians that are elected, to grapple with the complexities and difficulties of international relations between countries," he added.
SUPPORT PLANS
New Zealand had announced it would refuse to issue visas to the Zimbabwe team in a reciprocal tour scheduled for the end of this year.
The British and Australian governments have announced they would support plans to exclude Zimbabwe from international sport.
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Zimbabwean cricket has been in crisis for several years.
At the 2003 World Cup held mostly in South Africa but with a few games in Zimbabwe, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga of Zimbabwe wore black armbands to "mourn the death of democracy" in their country.
Last year, most of Zimbabwe's top players walked out on the national team over a race row, leading to calls for international sides to boycott Zimbabwe.
The ICC threatened to fine countries which refused to tour, but Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill lodged a personal protest, refusing to take part in his team's trip and telling selectors he could not "tour Zimbabwe and maintain a clear conscience".
Shortly after his announcement, Australia's tour was cancelled and no fines were issued.
Later that year, England's planned tour of the country was postponed after the ICC took away Zimbabwe's Test status, which has since been returned.
The issue has resurfaced after Western countries and organisations including Britain, the United States, the Commonwealth and the European Union condemned a new housing programme in Zimbabwe, which has claimed the lives of at least two children crushed to death in demolished houses.
