Heath Streak snubbed by board

Hopes of reconciliation between the Zimbabwe board and the rebel cricketers were dealt a blow with the board's tetchy reaction to the news that Heath Streak had been drafted in to help with coaching at Matabeleland.

Streak, a former captain of Matabeleland, offered to assist Pommie Mbangwa, their bowling coach. But as soon as ZCU officials were made aware of the situation, they ordered Phil Simmons, the national coach, to the ground at Bulawayo to replace Streak.

Streak involvement was as an unpaid assistant, and given that he has other priorities - his wife is heavily pregnant - the ZCU's action appears unnecessarily provocative.