Zimbabwean Rebels Quit

[Andre]

http://www.cricketweb.net/articles/EplulApkAZfWhglpKf.shtml

The international careers of the 15 Zimbabwean rebel cricketers are over, with the group of players deciding to cease negotiations with the ZCU and look to life after international cricket.

Keep an eye on the above link – full story and updates as news comes to hand.

Sad, sad day - ban the ZCU.

 

[luckyeddie]

This is a sad day indeed for international cricket

 

[chicane]

Damn the ICC. It's all their fault. They should've stopped the madness beforehand.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Tragic - both for cricket, and for the general situation in Zimbabwe.

 

[Andre]

Full story posted. Keep an eye on the Cricket Web frontpage as any developments will be reported in due course.

 

[Sudeep]

Tragic.

 

[marc71178]

A sad day thut leaves Malcolm Speed in a bad position. If he cancels the Australian tour then Zimbabwe must surely be stripped of Test status (since their best available players are being picked)

 

[Langeveldt]

The worst day ever in crickets history IMO... You cant just "lose" a national team, and now we just have done... The worst case scenario just happened...

I guess its time to say a thank you to the rebel 15 who excelled not only as cricketers, but as sportsmen who played with the game with the spirit it was intended.. They were ambassadors for their country and their sport...

And the best of luck for the future...

 

[Wazim]

i dont know, the medai is messed up alot and confused in this issue..the players say onething and then come back

like i read two weeks ago they r ready to go to arbitration...but just now they saying they r ready to go into mediation so dont be too sure yet about them quitting

 

[Langeveldt]

i dont know, the medai is messed up alot and confused in this issue..the players say onething and then come back

like i read two weeks ago they r ready to go to arbitration...but just now they saying they r ready to go into mediation so dont be too sure yet about them quitting

TBH, its hard to tell what is happening in Zimbabwe these days...

However my comments still stand barring a miracle, the end is quite soon anyway... Mugabe and his henchmen will start coming into play if the whites get their way...

 

[Loony BoB]

i dont know, the medai is messed up alot and confused in this issue..the players say onething and then come back

like i read two weeks ago they r ready to go to arbitration...but just now they saying they r ready to go into mediation so dont be too sure yet about them quitting

I agree with what was said there - give it a day and wait and see if anything changes. This whole thing has been up and down like a yoyo. If it has indeed hit the bottom, though, it truely is a massive blow to international cricket, the ZCU, the ICC, the Aussies and the cricketing world. Some deserved the blow. The majority of people involved in all of this more than likely did not. Sigh. =/

 

[Ford_GTHO351]

Very sad day

This and Speed's snubbing surely will see Zimbabwe stripped of Test Status.

But IMO it should go one further and Zimbabwe should be suspeneded completely.

 

[Ford_GTHO351]

I guess its time to say a thank you to the rebel 15 who excelled not only as cricketers, but as sportsmen who played with the game with the spirit it was intended.. They were ambassadors for their country and their sport...

And the best of luck for the future...

 

[Slow Love™]

Frankly, in a strange way, I'm glad the players had the balls to stick to their guns - I was really worried they'd back down and play these tests (without any of their demands being met) on "good faith", and then this issue would be drawn out over years while they were removed one by one for "various" reasons.

Once they were originally sacked, I didn't really believe there was much of a resolution to this matter, outside of at least temporarily banning the ZCU, subject to monitoring the ongoing situation within the country.

I agree that the whole thing sucks, and the ICC carries a lot of responsibility for allowing it to get this far.

 

[Craig]

And now look for to influx of Zimbabwean players to Australia, South Africa, and England, and it you cant really rule going to live in NZ.

 

[roseboy64]

Now they say they might play the ODers versus Australia and would play the Tests too but aren`t fit.

 

[Scallywag]

I agree that the whole thing sucks, and the ICC carries a lot of responsibility for allowing it to get this far.

Why do the ICC carry the responsibility. What could they have done or more to the point what did they do to make this situation.

 

[Slow Love™]

Why do the ICC carry the responsibility. What could they have done or more to the point what did they do to make this situation.

Because with every step the ZCU made, the ICC tacitly gave their approval, by believing their words over those of the cricketers. Had the ICC adopted a harder stance on this issue much, much earlier, we might have actually seen some binding third-party arbitration. As it stands, things broke down completely, and the players were left all alone.

Considering that the ICC was determined that these tours were to take place, regardless of the political situation in the country, the least they could have done in cricket's interests would have been to act quickly once it became clear that this political situation had infiltrated the ZCU, and the country was going to discriminate racially in their selection of the team. Instead, they allowed the matter to continue to escalate, while they sat on their thumbs.

 

[Slow Love™]

Now they say they might play the ODers versus Australia and would play the Tests too but aren`t fit.

Yeah, this was a strange decision. Can't tell what's going on there - maybe they're getting cold feet? Or it could just be to make clear that they're still willing to negotiate in good faith. It seems like at last, the Aussies are sounding like they're likely to leave if the matches aren't given test status, anyway.

I'm wondering if we'll ever know which way each country's representatives will vote on this matter on Friday? It'd make interesting reading.

 

[Prince EWS]

An article in the Daily Telegraph (a Sydney newspaper) today said that the rebels were back, and ready to play, but might not be picked for the first test.

Basically, Ive given up! Stories saying competely opposite things are flying around.......