South Africa have restored cricket relations with Zimbabwe, Cricket South Africa said on Friday.

A CSA statement said the decision had been made at a board meeting attended by Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) president Peter Chingoka and chief executive officer Ozias Bvute.

Last year CSA decided to suspend bilateral relations with the ZCU because of the deteriorating political and economic situation in the country.

Since then, Zimbabwe has formed a government of national unity and the International Cricket Council have asked their members to assist the development of Zimbabwean cricket.

A co-ordinating committee has been set up by CSA to help restore relations between the two countries and assist Zimbabwe achieve its goal of returning to test cricket. The ZCU suspended Zimbabwe's Test status indefinitely in January, 2006

Gerald Majola, the chief executive officer of CSA, will be the chairman of the committee, with Ray Mali, the former ICC president, also a member.

The board also decided that players and officials who were contracted by the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and wished to return to official cricket could do so after cancelling their contracts with the ICL and serving a six-month "cooling off" period after their last appearance.