The end of the affair ... almost

The announcement that Heath Streak had agreed to return to the Zimbabwean fold signals the virtual end to a bitter and divisive dispute which at times threatened the very future of cricket inside Zimbabwe. The wounds will take much longer to heal, but the process is underway.

There remain some issues to resolve and a few players are still opting to continue their boycott. But Streak, the man whose dismissal as captain triggered the crisis, was always seen the pivotal figure, and it was his position that really mattered.

In the aftermath of the ICC's hearing, it seemed to be a question of when rather than if a deal would be brought to the table. The rebels had nowhere to run, although one or two of them - Streak included - had enough ability to forge careers overseas. But that ignored the fact that they were born and raised in Zimbabwe and, for all their homeland's considerable political problems, remained deeply patriotic.

The board won the battle inside the ICC, but emerged deeply scarred and with a side which, despite bullish talk to the contrary, was seriously weak and which was clearly going to be cruelly exposed against stronger countries. The recent Test and one-day defeats in Bangladesh underlined that, and possibly accelerated the process.

And so common sense prevailed in the end. The committee formed by Zimbabwe Cricket to find a compromise approached the situation positively, and broke down the remaining barriers. The outcome has been an uneasy truce - but one which can only help Zimbabwe cricket as it tries to rebuild.

The one question which does linger is what has been agreed behind the scenes. Streak and the other rebels have always maintained that one of their most serious grievances has been the make-up of the selection panel and the lack of cricketing credentials of some of its members. The appointment of one of those the rebels had reservations about - Macsood Ebrahim - as the head selector in August appeared to make any compromise all the more unlikely.

But now the suspicion is that Ebrahim might be ousted as part of the deal. Face has to be saved, and so this is unlikely to happen in the coming weeks, but once the South African tour is done and dusted, expect a quiet reshuffle.

In the meantime, for the first time in almost a year, there is cause for celebration off the pitch in Zimbabwe.