The Prime Minister's spokesman said No 10 had been "surprised" by a BBC report suggesting Gordon Brown was considering a ban.

"It is not the case that the Prime Minister is considering a blanket ban on Zimbabwe's sportsmen," the spokesman said.

He added that it was a matter for the English cricket authorities whether a planned tour by the Zimbabwe cricket team went ahead.

"If they decided they want to ban Zimbabwe, we would support them," he said.

Meanwhile, Conservative leader David Cameron gave his backing to calls for an official ban on next year's planned tour of England by the Zimbabwe cricket team.

Mr Cameron was responding to BBC reports - later denied by Downing Street - that Prime Minister Gordon Brown was considering action to exclude all visits by sportsmen from the southern African country in order to isolate the regime of President Robert Mugabe.

Speaking at a press conference before the Downing Street comments were made public, Mr Cameron made clear that he would be ready to offer his party's backing if the Government opted for a blanket ban.