Zimbabwe players issue ultimatum to board

The crisis in Zimbabwean cricket took a turn for the worse today when the senior players issued an ultimatum to the board, asking it to meet their demands by Wednesday or face the prospect of mass resignation.

According to London's Guardian newspaper, this happened after a marathon meeting between the players and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), in which the ZCU stuck to its stand and refused to reinstate Heath Streak as captain. Streak, Andy Blignaut and Grant Flower represented the players, while Peter Chingoka, the chairman of the ZCU, and Vince Hogg, its chief executive, were present along with three other board members.

"We've given the delegation a mandate of 4pm on Wednesday, and if they don't come up with the goods we're out of here," the Guardian quoted a senior player as saying. "I don't think we're going to get anywhere with them. There is no future for Zimbabwe cricket."

If the senior players carry out their threat, Zimbabwe will be forced to field a virtual second-string side for their series against Sri Lanka, which starts in less than two weeks.

According to the report, the players were concerned about the sacking of Streak, and the elevation of Tatenda Taibu as captain. "There are quite a few guys who don't want to play under Taibu, and it's not a racial issue," the unnamed player told the Guardian. "It's because he is 20 years old and he's still trying to make it in international cricket.

"We've asked them to reverse the captaincy situation back to Streak, and they have said they won't. If that's the case, there are a few of us who are going to leave purely on that basis."

Meanwhile, AFP reported that Streak was considering legal action against the ZCU. "Legal action remains an option for me and I'm going to carefully consider that," Streak said. "I shall also be considering their offer for me to continue simply as a player. But if I do so, that will not have a bearing on my claim to continue as captain."