Breaking news: Zimbabwe board sacks rebels!

[reverse_swing]

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union has announced that all 15 rebel cricketers who are in dispute with the board have had their contracts terminated.

The board met this morning and took the decision that, as the players had not returned to work by the Friday deadline it imposed, they were in breach of their contracts. In a press release, the ZCU said that it had informed the players' lawyer of the decision.

The ZCU went on to add that, while the players' contracts had been voided, any of them who made themselves available for selection would be considered "subject to their commitment, form and fitness".

The statement concluded that the "ZCU firmly believes it has acted in accordance with best business practice whilst it has also always kept the door open for any willing and committed players to return to the fold."

The news comes hours after the players agreed to return to training and make themselves available for selection as a gesture of goodwill. They also looked set to accept mediation with the board, but this latest development renders that unlikely.

© Wisden Cricinfo Ltd

[rassel]

it is good for bangladesh to whip them anytime or in anyplace!:P

[AsifTheManRahman]

Except for one tiny problem...

Even Kenya, Namibia and Ireland will be able to whip these guys, so there's really no great pride in beating Zim anymore...

[rassel]

Originally posted by AsifTheManRahman
Except for one tiny problem...

Even Kenya, Namibia and Ireland will be able to whip these guys, so there's really no great pride in beating Zim anymore...

not quite sure about Namibia and Ireland whipping them; you know, they still gat some quality player left in them and more still to come! Nevertheless, easy target for any non-test playing nation to upset them.

[WI2debone]

This is not good for Zim's cricket!!!! Not sure that this is a sensible decision ..... You need to have your best players representing you ..... why would they settle for less? On the other hand .... the so-called rebels shouldn't be allowed to hold the board to ransom .... board caught between a rock and a hard place!! Sad tho'

[billah]

Zimbabwe cricket board is learning to walk. It seems they are finding that the rookies are not all that bad, they are improving, so why get pushed around by the rebels. Yet, it would have been better for cricket if it had not come to this.

[reinausagi]

Zimbabwean cricket will flourish without the 'rebel-15' as long as Robert Mugabe cares to patronise it over the next few years.

[acker]

Zimbabwian cricket was struggling including the 15 rebels , what hope has it got of flourishing with out them.
Heath Streak at the end of the day would struggle to maintain his place in an Australian State team.
The foundations the Zim's cricket was built on orinally was flawed.
But unfortunatly the new ones they are trying to build seem to have cracks as well.

[rafiq]

The blind support for that despot Mugabe on this board by a couple of you continues to amaze me. I am keen to see some deep discourse on why you believe he is leading Zimababwe, and the nation's cricket, down the right path. All I have read so far are the standard-issue arguments of how the black man was oppressed so therefore this must be right. Maybe you have lived in Zimbabwe or were jailed by the white man or something else that compels you to share Mugabe's righteous philosophy for his country.

Somehow Zimbabwean cricket has to pay for the lack of a functioning brain in Robert Mugabe's head?

Where is Pundit when you need him?

[mzia]

Cricket is not isolated from the life, the present political & economical situation is in very bad shape in Zim, and reflection is in ZCU. Idi Amin of Uganda, tried to emerge by deporting all the Asian (there were no white) from their country in 70-80 decade. He did it apparently to protect the Ugandan, basically protect himself. Almost same scenario is in Mugabe episode... Well when it looks like that Heath gong were even as they prepared to accept their employers' offer of mediation and to make themselves available for selection then The ZCU’s statement “The dissenting players who have been absent from work have violated the 21-day breach clause as stated in their contracts, as a result the contracts of these 15 players have been terminated." What a Joke…

[mzia]

... and Heath +14 set for legal action...News

[sheshprohor]

Now I am feeling myself a little bit lucky, that we faced the 'REAL' ZIM team. We couldn't get confidence and spirit if we defeated current ZIM team.



Prohor

[rafiq]

Prohor that's absolutely right. I think the BD team would much rather have taken the way they went down to Heath Streak's Zimbabwe than a victory over the new inexperienced players. The new players will get much better no doubt and good luck to them!