Wright questions Zimbabwe's international status

John Wright, the coach of the Rest of the World team in the Super Series in October, has urged the ICC to reconsider Zimbabwe's current status as a Test and one-day team as they continue a downward spiral in both forms of the game.

"I'm not as much interested in the results as the strength of the game's infrastructure in Zimbabwe," Wright, the former Indian coach, told Press Trust of India. "The crux of the matter is whether Zimbabwe have the development programmes and the resources to sustain their international presence."

Wright said that there was no point in promoting Zimbabwe, a team where the players are becoming accustomed to failure. "I don't think it's any good for any cricket team to be beaten so badly and so often as Zimbabwe have been lately. Tthe confidence of the individuals has to be affected, and there comes a time where it almost becomes cruel," Wright continued. "Having said that, the results are just the tip of the iceberg. The real issues involve Zimbabwe's capacity to improve and progress as a cricket nation, and maybe that's where the ICC should be playing a role.

"It can't be just allowed to carry on regardless, because failure will breed failure - it won't help with development." Wright also compared Zimbabwe's situation to Bangladesh and added that Bangladesh were in a better position.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Cricket is also reported to be reviewing the player contracts in response to the team's abject performance. The board is considering reducing the number of contracted players from September 1.