Zimbabwe facing Test suspension

Zimbabwe's impending suspension from the ICC has taken a step closer to reality this afternoon. Speaking on Channel 4 - a British tv channel - Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive, warned the Zimbabwe Cricket Union that unless the impasse with their rebel players was resolved by midday on Friday, he and Ehsan Mani would be recommending that the matches against Australia should be stripped of Test status. If that was the case, then the Australians would have no hesitation in flying out of the country.

Finally, it appears that the cricket world is closing ranks to prevent a repeat of the farcical results in the recent two-Test series against Sri Lanka. Aware of the changing mood, the ZCU yesterday named Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut, Stuart Carlisle, Trevor Gripper and Ray Price in a squad of 18. One of those players, however, has since confirmed that they have no intention of taking part in the match.

"They did include us in a squad of 18 players," said the player, who declined to be named, "but they probably knew that the five of us would pull out anyway. We are not playing in the Test series, that's how it stands." He added that Speed had also been informed of the situation, which will come to a head at Lord's on Friday, when the ICC hierarchy decides on the fate of the series during a specially convened tele-conference.

The players' apparent withdrawal comes in the wake of Grant Flower's warning that the 15 rebels were mentally and physically unprepared for the rigours of a Test series against Australia. The Zimbabwean selectors have been caught unawares by the harsh criticism directed against their skewed selection policy, in the wake of two crushing defeats against Sri Lanka, who were themselves at the receiving end of a 3-0 drubbing from Australia not so long ago.

It was those one-sided Sri Lankan romps that forced the ICC to act, and organise the meeting of the board presidents from the 10 Test-playing countries. They will now decide whether the two matches should go ahead, and whether they should be granted Test status. If that is withheld - seven of the 10 need to vote in favour for the motion to be carried - Australia's players are likely to return home.

It appears increasingly likely that only the reinstatement of Streak and his supporters will prevent Zimbabwe being pushed through the exit door.