/ 5 May 2004

Zim cricketers ready to take court action

Zimbabwe cricket rebels are preparing to take the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) to court for breach of contract after the sports supremos rejected their proposals for arbitration on Tuesday.

The players’ proposals for arbitration conducted by two independent international figures was rejected by the ZCU in a letter to their lawyer Chris Venturas.

The ZCU said they would not agree to arbitration and continued to offer internal mediation. The players’ spokesperson Grant Flower said this was not acceptable.

He now expects the issue to end up in the courts with each side sueing for breach of contract.

The cause of the impasse was the sacking on April 2 of former captain Heath Streak, which followed his demand for changes to the selection panel.

The players continue to demand his reinstatement as well as the changes he wanted. The ZCU insists neither issue is open for discussion.

The result of the failure to reach an agreement is the withdrawal of Streak, Ray Price, Sean Ervine and Trevor Gripper from the national squad of 17 ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka, which starts at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

The quartet played in the Zimbabwe A team against Sri Lanka in a three-day match at the Takashinga Club, Highfield, Harare, which ended on Monday.

They had agreed to play ‘as a goodwill gesture’ according to Flower.

The chief executive of the ZCU, Vincent Hogg, said he was sad.

”I am also disappointed that efforts to reach an agreement have failed. It’s a great pity that it has come to this.”

Surprisingly left out of the Zimbabwe squad altogether were Flower, who hasn’t missed a Test or international in 11 years except through injury, Craig Wishart, widely seen as the country’s most reliable batsman, Andy Blignaut who became the first Zimbabwean to record a hat-trick in Tests — against Bangladesh on their recent tour to Zimbabwe — and Stuart Carlisle, who has hit two centuries in the last five months, against Bangladesh and in Australia.

National coach Geoff Marsh said that all the players were all fit. The next move will come on May 8 when a 21-day ultimatum to the players to resume practice and make themselves available for selection expires.

ZCU president Peter Chingoka said if the players did not make themselves available they would face suspension or even dismissal.

”After all, they are employees,” he said. – Sapa-AFP