zimcricketnews.com

The Zimbabwe government has appointed an interim board to handle the running of Zimbabwe Cricket, but their actions could result in the loss of Test status for Zimbabwe & look unlikley to persuade striking players to return.

The interim board consists of Cyprian Mandenge, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, Ntokozo Ncube and Wilson Manase, along with a number of government officials. Peter Chingoka retains his place as Chairman. Ozias Bvute, as a Board employee, also looks set to retain his position. Announcing the changes, Sports and Recreation Commission chairman, Brigadier Gibson Mashingaidze, confirmed that the changes has the blessing of President Mugabe, and that white and asian members of the Board had been removed for

"their racial connotations and saving their own agendas and not government policy."

Addressing the players' concerns, Mashingaidze was uncompromising:

"Those who want to stay in can stay, but those who want to go are free to go. They can go to India, Canada or wherever. We are not bothered. The government will not be held at ransom by individuals"

...adding that the players' strike action & demands for the removal of Chingoka and Bvute amounted to

"...Indiscipline of the highest magnitude. They have no reason to do that. It's not their role."

Under these circumstances, it seems unlikely that the striking players will be able to return, although players' representative Clive Field has said he is still willing to talk to Chingoka:

"I am prepared to meet him. He's got my number and I've got his. Have tried to meet him in the past, even last week, but he said it wasn't necessary."

The ICC have been unwilling to discuss the matter until they have spoken to all parties concerned, but an official statement is expected from them shortly. Zimbabwe's continued participation in Test cricket must now be in doubt, but this does not seem to bother the Zimbabwean authorities - according to Mashingaidze,

"We are prepared to be chucked out of the Test status. The government is saying we are starting afresh. We are not bothered."

It would seem that the fat lady has begun to sing for Zimbabwe Cricket. In the words of Clive Field, as reported by BBC Sport:

"I think we're stuffed, more stuffed than we've ever been. It's not going to be cricket, it's going to be a corpse."