European Tour golfer Tony Johnstone believes the International Cricket Council (ICC) is wrong to insist World Cup matches should go ahead in his native Zimbabwe later this month.

Johnstone, who lives in England and visited Zimbabwe last March, says the safety of players cannot be guaranteed.

The players will be used as propaganda tools by President Robert Mugabe, which will make them perfect targets for protests by opposition parties, he said.

"I think if the players were sensible, they wouldn't be prepared to put their lives at risk and why should they," Johnstone was quoted as saying in the Herald Sun newspaper on Saturday.

"Anybody who doesn't think Zimbabwe isn't an absolute unadulterated shambles, they have got their heads in the sand.

"I wouldn't be going somewhere to play golf if they couldn't guarantee my safety. I think there are serious concerns about their safety."