Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak lost a battle of power with his national cricket body on Friday and resigned from all forms of the game.
Streak was immediately replaced as skipper by wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu, who will become the first black to lead Zimbabwe, and at 20, the youngest in Test history.
Sri Lanka arrives in two weeks for a tour of two Tests and five one-day internationals.
According to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, Streak gave it an ultimatum to restructure the national selection panel or he would resign. The union rejected his demands, and Streak resigned from playing at all levels in the country.
Streak wanted the panel trimmed from five members to four, and for all to have played first-class or Test cricket.
He said he had no confidence in the teams being selected, and was also unhappy with the team management, led by coach Geoff Marsh.
Streak was first appointed captain in 2000, but resigned when it affected his form. He was reappointed in 2002.
Since his debut in 1993, he has played 59 Tests and last month became the first Zimbabwean to take more than 200 wickets. He averaged 23 with the bat with one century against the West Indies last November.
Streak also played in 183 one-day internationals.
He has signed to play for Warwickshire in English county cricket this summer. — Sapa-AP