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The Zimbabwe Crisis
Wisden Cricinfo staff

April 14, 2004

Thirteen members of the Zimbabwe cricket team, including Heath Streak, the captain, and Grant Flower, their most-capped player, have released an open statement outlining their grievances with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.


The statement runs to six pages, and contains nine main points. The players detail their concerns over political interference in selection, claiming that "deserving players of all races have been excluded from both the national team and the Zimbabwe A team solely because of their race or region from which they come". This, the players say, goes against the ZCU's stated mission statement that it "will develop cricket for the benefit of all Zimbabweans without discrimination of any kind".

The players' statement also details specific instances of interference in selection, claiming that Mark Vermeulen, a white batsman, was offered "a double match fee, not to play" in a one-day international for which he'd already been selected, so that Stuart Matsikenyeri could play instead. The statement also names a black journalist, Mehluli Sibanda, who the players claim received telephone threats [not to side with Streak] from a member of the board.

The players have called for a new selection committee for the national team. They say it should not include anyone with a conflict of interest - ZCU board directors or employees, commentators, coach and captain - and that members should either be experienced coaches or former Test or first-class players. To emphasise that their concerns are not racist, the players suggest that the minimum qualifications are not discriminatory - indeed "it would in our view be easy for a selection panel to be established with a majority of qualified black Zimbabweans". They suggest that Ethan Dube and Mpumelelo "Pommie" Mbangwa might be ideal for the post, provided that Mbangwa is prepared to abandon his fledgling career as a TV pundit.

Concern is also raised about the way in which Streak was sacked as captain without a proper hearing. The players say they have been reliably informed that the decision to terminate Streak's contract "was made by three board members", and was "motivated by a personal and non-sporting agenda".

The players claim that a clear-the-air meeting on April 9 was conducted "in an extremely hostile environment, with insinuations made by some individuals within the Board that our negotiating committee had a hidden agenda". The statement continues: "One member of the Board stormed out of this meeting, and others were very animated and aggressive during proceedings. The ZCU lawyer excused himself from the proceedings early, even though our meeting was premised on the basis that the ZCU lawyer would be present throughout all negotiations".

"We believe that politics should play no part in sport," say the players, who conclude by regretting the need for the statement: "In all the circumstances we believe that we have no option but to collectively stand up for our principles," adding that "unless we take action the cancer that is eroding the game in Zimbabwe will not be dealt with". Finally they appeal: "To the chairman of the ZCU, the reasonable remainder of the board, and members of the ICC to act against those on the ZCU board who have been responsible, in our view, for these very distressing developments."

The 13 signatories, who are all white, are Heath Streak, Stuart Carlisle, Grant Flower, Craig Wishart, Andy Blignaut, Raymond Price, Gary Brent, Sean Ervine, Travis Friend, Barney Rogers, Trevor Gripper, Richard Sims and Neil Ferreira. Time will tell whether this was their last act in Zimbabwean cricket.


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