Ehsan Mani criticises rebel players

Ehsan Mani has criticised the Zimbabwe rebel players for adopting what he calls a "high-risk" approach. He said that the dissident players were making it more difficult to find a permanent solution to the crisis that has rocked Zimbabwean cricket.

However, Wisden Cricinfo understands that the players are angry and disappointed that the ICC has made no attempt to speak to them and hear their side of the story, and appears to have relied entirely on what they have been told by the ZCU. There is a strong feeling among the rebel players that the ICC statement was heavily biased in favour of the board.

In a statement in London on Wednesday, Mani spoke about how this approach could end of the players' careers and affect any team that Zimbabwe put together in the future.

"I am not going to pass comment on the rights or wrongs of what has happened in this case, but what is clear is that by walking out on their teammates on the eve of a Test match, the rebels have placed Tatenda Taibu and his team in an invidious position. I am concerned that even if an agreement is now reached between the ZCU and the rebel players, this tactic of walking out on their teammates could irreparably split the dressing room, making a lasting solution even more difficult to find."

Mani added that disputes between players and administrators in any country should be sorted out at the local level. "If the rebels believe that walking out will result in other countries interfering in Zimbabwean cricket, I think that they have been very badly advised. Many of our members have faced similar issues and are very strongly of the view that the only way to find a solution is at the local level."