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Rebels to boycott first Test

Wednesday, May 5 2004

Four 'rebel' players, who have been named in the Zimbabwean squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka are on the verge of pulling out because of ZCU's disagreement to independent arbitration.

Heath Streak, Raymond Price, Sean Ervine and Trevor Gripper - members of the 'rebels' as they are known - are all set to boycott the match, after they were named in the squad yesterday.

Grant Flower, a senior member of the group, has expressed the group's unwillingness to accept any so called compromises from the ZCU, and has called for the boycott to continue until and unless their grievances were heard by an independent arbitrator.

Speaking to leading newspapers, Flower said, "The ZCU did not accept our proposals and we do not accept theirs. There is simply no agreement, and on that basis the four chosen for the squad are withdrawing. They have fully agreed to that."

This basically ends all hope of a reconciliation between the two sides, after last week's good news of the 'rebels' agreeing to mediation by a Zimbabwean businessman, which was followed by the players' return to training.

Chris Venturas, the lawyer representing the players, also told the press, "We went back as a sign of good faith, and it was unnegotiable that this matter had to go to arbitration to give it the seriousness and the respect it deserves. Mediation doesn't assist in any way. Even if the mediator finds in our favour on all three points, the ZCU don't have to abide by his ruling."

Meanwhile, ZCU chief Peter Chingoka believes that the board has done enough to please the players, and that they should return on current terms, or face even worse consequences.

Posted by Sudeep