Zimbabwe contract row to be resolved by month-end

The Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and the Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers Association (ZPCA) on Monday asserted there was no problem on the issue of three cricketers, whose contracts have been withdrawn and hoped that contentious issues would be resolved by the end of September.

Ozigs Bvute, Managing Director, ZC, and Mluleki Nkala, Chairman, ZPCA, both said that the issue of withdrawing contracts for Stuart Carlisle, Barnie Rogers and Neil Ferreira was not a priority and they were busy handling bigger issues of the negotiations.

Bvute also indicated that the door is shut on these cricketers and the board would not offer them any fresh contract because they have been found wanting on the issues of work ethics, performance and discipline.

There was a ray of hope for these players as Clive Field, players' representative said, and "if the issue of these cricketers is not a priority then we are heading for confrontation as players feel very strongly about it."

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Amidst the differences between the ZPCA chief and players' representative, it appears that the administration, if not directly responsible for this division in the players' ranks, is at least the one to gain some benefit out of it.

Bvute insisted that it was not fair to say that the terms offered to cricketers was not "livable" but agreed to the extent that the players would like it to be reconsidered, for which the negotiations were on.

He also denied that the players association had wanted the issue to be settled before August 19. "We were looking to settle the issue after the present series was over but they wanted to deal with it now," said Bvute.