Zimbabwe’s national cricket manager, Mohammed Meman, was fired on Tuesday after 15 years in the job.
Meman immediately went to see his lawyer after being given three months’ notice — a move he described as ”an absolute disgrace”.
Meman has been in charge of almost all Zimbabwe’s Test and one-day international teams since 1991.
He was a national selector and administrator and provincial cricket selector with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.
Richie Kaschula, one of three national selectors, also received a letter informing him that he would be out of a job in three months’ time.
Kaschula told The Associated Press he was fired under the Labour Relations Act, but claimed the action was illegal.
”This Act requires a disciplinary procedure before anybody can be fired in this way,” Kaschula said.
”And there has been nothing of that kind. My termination is therefore illegal and this will end up in court. I have already seen my lawyer.
”They sent me a cheque for 145-million Zimbabwe dollars ($1 450) but I am ignoring it.”
The other national selectors, volunteers Macsood Ebrahim and Ethan Dube, have already stood down.
More than two weeks of sporadic talks between Zimbabwe Cricket and the country’s professional players association have failed to break a deadlock over payment and fees, owed for six months. These include Test match and one-day international payments plus salaries and allowances.
Tuesday was the deadline set for the two parties by the government’s Sports and Recreation Commission to resolve the financial dispute, which has been calculated at more than $750 000, and to make sure all players have signed new contracts.
Neither has been achieved.
The players were meeting on Tuesday to agree on their next course of action.
Their representative, Clive Field, said: ”I have been told by the players’ own lawyer that she will be issuing a writ beginning a civil action against Zimbabwe Cricket tomorrow to recover the money they are owed.” – Sapa-AP