Lord's Test saved by swift action from Zimbabwe Cricket Union

News articles and media releases coming out of Zimbabwe indicate that the Lord's Test currently underway was saved from a threatened boycott only by swift action by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union to gain agreement on player's remuneration.

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union has responded to an article in the Zimbabwe Herald by releasing details of negotiations with the players on tour in England that at one stage might have jeopardised the tour.

The Herald article alleged that the tourists had demanded a 90% pay increase, had threatened to boycott the Lord's Test, and had "incited" the Zimbabwe A team currently touring Sri Lanka to take similar action.

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union in a press release clarified that there had indeed been a series of negotiations with the players in England, and at one point three weeks ago matters came to a head with players demanding either an immediate increase in remuneration, or the tour would be aborted.

The ZCU responded by sending a delegation to England consisting of the President, PF Chingoka; the Chief Executive, Dave Ellman-Brown; and Alwyn Pichanick, a Life President of the ZCU. This group entered into negotations with a lawyer representing the players, as well as Andy Whittall, not a member of the tour party, but acting as the player's representative.

Agreement was rapidly achieved, and a committee set up to deal with the issue of compensation. Representatives of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union met with the players, and as a gesture of goodwill have increased the match fees in the interim. The players are already bound by an existing contract, but the Zimbabwe Cricket Union have agreed to review and re-negotiate the issue of compensation.