Zimbabweans call for Speed to resign

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Malcolm Speed: under pressure © Getty Images Enlarge

Zimbabwe players and officials have demanded the resignation of Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, on grounds that he failed to address the sporting crisis in the country. In a letter to Speed, the chairperson of all seven provinces, players' representatives, former Zimbabwe Cricket directors, and other "stakeholders" said that the ICC should not recognise the Zimbabwe Cricket management of Peter Chingoka and managing director Ozias Bvute.

"They remain in their positions only because the Zimbabwe government arbitrarily appointed a temporary committee, most of whom know nothing about cricket" Associated Press quoted Richie Kaschula, a former international bowler who was recently sacked as full-time selector, as saying. "The ICC declined to intervene, which should have been their duty." The letter also cited the ICC's ineffectiveness in handling the two-year-old crisis and said Speed was wrong to allow Chingoka to investigate himself and Bvute following widespread allegations of corruption.

Chingoka and Bvute have faced criticism in the past. In October of 2005, there were calls for both to resign after claims of financial mismanagement. Chingoka and Bvute were arrested by Harare police following Reserve Bank investigations but released on the instruction of Zimbabwe's attorney general.

Speed was also accused of doing nothing to enforce his instructions to Zimbabwe to solve player strikes. "We believe that in the interests of cricket worldwide you should do the honorable thing and resign your position," the letter concluded.

Copies of the letter have been sent to every Test-playing country seeking support.