The International Cricket Council (ICC) welcomed the England and Wales Cricket Board's decision to defer any action on its scheduled tour of Zimbabwe until after it had discussed the issue with other member countries.

ICC President Ehsan Mani said the Executive Board meeting in Auckland on March 9-10 would provide the ECB the right opportunity to raise its concerns directly with each of the Test-playing countries.

"During our meeting earlier this week I suggested to David Morgan that an appropriate forum for this issue would be the ICC Executive Board Meeting in March.

"I am pleased that the ECB Board has now accepted this suggestion and welcome their decision today," Mani said.

The ECB has come under pressure from the British Government and other institutions to call of its tour of Zimbabwe scheduled for later this year.

Britain has termed Robert Mugabe's rule of Zimbabwe as dictatorial and accused it of rigging results in last elections to claim power.

Zimbabwe has been banned from the Commonwealth although it has been allowed to compete in the sporting arena.

The British Government wants the ECB to call off the tour on moral grounds.

Last year, England refused to play a World Cup match in Zimbabwe which resulted in their hasty exit from the tournament and cost the ECB millions of pounds in World Cup profit share.