Zimbabwe's new contractual system leaves many out in the cold

[Paoli]

Full Story

Zimbabwe Cricket's player contracts debate took a surprise turn after the board withdrew the contract offers to three players - Stuart Carlisle, Neil Ferreira and Barney Rogers.
On Thursday, ZC announced that only three players - Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu and Andy Blignaut - would get long-term contracts, but four other senior players, Trevor Gripper, Doug Marillier, Mark Vermuelen and Mluleki Nkala, did not even make the initial list of 27 players to get the level-one performance-based contracts.

The board said that the decision to give short-term performance-related contracts had resulted from recent poor displays. "It's a strange decision," one of the players made the offer said. "It's completely taken everyone by surprise. It's a body blow. We are not sure of the reasons why ZC had to resort to such a move. It hasn't helped morale at all ahead of the next game (on Sunday against India).

Typical Zimbabwe Cricket garbage! Rogers has been one of our shining lights through the tour of South Africa, and previously in Bangladesh. Ferreira deserves an extended run, and players like Carlisle are the ones who cope with pressure the best. And...how the hell are Gripper, Marrilier, Vermuelen and Nkala not in the best twenty seven players.

ICC; please put a ban on Zimbabwe.

[Prince EWS]

I would really like to see the list of twenty-seven players. No-one seems to have it.

Marillier, Gripper, Vermeulen and Nkala not getting contracts at all doesnt suprise me one bit. They dont seem to be in the thought of selectors at all, and werent in good domestic form last season either (besides a few freak performances which showed their talent like the Marillier double hundred..). None of them have been consistant at domestic level, and I must admit, despite the fact that I like him, Gripper has been a dissapointing failure at test level, and his batting really isnt suited to the one day game at all.

Still though, twenty-seven is a big number. Ill take a guess at the players that were contracted.

Tatenda Taibu
Heath Streak
Andy Blignaut
Stuart Carlisle
Barney Rogers
Neil Feirerra
Craig Wishart
Hamilton Masakadza
Dion Ebrahim
Brendon Taylor
Vusi Sibanda
Stuart Matsikenyeri
C. Chibhabba
Charles Coventry
Elton Chigumbura
Douglas Hondo
Blessing Mahwire
Tinashe Panyangara
Edward Rainsford
Twanda Mupariwa
Waddington Mwayenga / Terrence Duffin
Christopher Mpofu
Anthony Ireland
Gavin Ewing
Prosper Utseya
Keith Dabengwa
Graeme Cremer

Obviously I will probably be wrong with one or two, but I think that will be, in essence, the squad of contracted players.

There are quite a few in there that I would pick below the likes of Vermeulen, Nkala, Gripper or Marillier, but judging from recent Zimbabwean selections, its no suprise that these four havent been given contracts at all. All the above players have been picked above them recently.

[The Phantom Ram]

Is Travis Friend no where in contention?

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Ram

Is Travis Friend no where in contention?

Hes not in the country at present, so I doubt he would have been given a contract.

[Paoli]

Travis Friend is a Kolpaker at Derby.

[ajithlalm]

They are some good potential cricketers who are not playing in the current series.. What happened to them?
Elton Chigumbura, Vermulen, Travis Friend, Mariller? Where are these players...?

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by ajithlalm

They are some good potential cricketers who are not playing in the current series.. What happened to them?
Elton Chigumbura, Vermulen, Travis Friend, Mariller? Where are these players...?

All simply not selected, except in the case of Friend, who is unavailable due his county cricket commitments.

[Paoli]

I don't know what is wrong with Zimbabwean selectors. I don't think ZC are racist; if they were, we'd still have only one white person; Brendan Taylor as it was, in the team. But they make inexplicable selection acts. Vermuelen, Nkala, Marillier and Gripper are in the best 15 in the country, well inside the twenty seven.

What motivates them to do this? I wouldn't have a clue. I sent an email to ZC asking them for the full list. Normally, their communications manager is pretty helpful, although he skipped an enquiry about Bvute's appointment as General Manager.

On the subject of Chigumbura, he possesses a substantial degree of natural talent and could mature into quite a useful batting allrounder if given the right guidance. He showed his class in the series in Bangladesh.

[Prince EWS]

Ozias Bvute, the managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, has said that the doors were closed on the careers of Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart, Barney Rogers and Neil Ferreira after a contract dispute erupted last week.

The contracts of the four cricketers were suddenly withdrawn by Bvute as he believed that they weren't performing well enough. "The players expressed views as to what they believed they were worth," Bvute told Associated Press. "Those figures were in excess of their performances. This was not a vindictive exercise. A level one contract is offered on the basis of runs scored and wickets taken, and these players were clearly not perfuming."

Bvute also confirmed that the players could not play for Zimbabwe without a contract. "The door is closed for them," he said. "Even for Ferreira who has played only one match."

Other players have been told that their contracts would be considered at the end of this month, depending on how they perform in the next few weeks. This has upset the players. Carlisle told AFP: "This could even be just as serious for cricket here as the last dispute 18 months ago because this time the black players are with us."

Carlisle was at the forefront of the 2004 strike sparked by Streak's sacking for complaining about alleged racism by the selectors. He was one of 15 contracted players, all white, who backed Streak and were fired in turn. This set off months of negotiations characterised by hostilities and legal confrontations.

Carlisle said at his Harare home Saturday that he told Kevin Curran, the Zimbabwe coach, that he did not want to play against India in the last league match of the Videocon Cup, nor did Wishart. They preferred, he said, for lower-level players to be given the experience.

Carlisle said this was reported by Curran to ZC general manager Osias Bvute, who "immediately withdrew my contract and those of the others". Carlisle, who has played in 37 Tests and 112 ODIs for his country, now faces the end of his international cricket career, along with Wishart, Rogers and Ferreira, the latter after playing in just one match against New Zealand last month.

Carlisle said: "I have plans in hand, but I cannot say what they are." Carlisle and Grant Flower, who is now with Essex, were the most outspoken of the players during their 2004 dispute with ZC. All the affected contract players have held several meetings during the last two days and will have another one on Monday concerning the issue.

Clive Field, their representative, has held at least one meeting with Bvute, but the outcome is not known. Bvute was not available for comment. Those newly contracted are also unhappy with the overall situation and have been involved in meetings with the others, Field said. Streak commented: "I can confirm that there are to be further talks on this issue next week. Other than that I should not discuss it."

I cant believe this, really. How can Bvute say that Rogers isnt performing?? Hes been Zim's best one day batsman for the past year.

Carlisle is a quality test match batsman, and would have a much higher average if he hadnt been moved up and down the order so much.

Ferierra was also a very promising player.

This is yet another disaster, ESPECIALLY in the case of Rogers.

[stone bird]

nkala didn't get a contract because he is the treasurer of the players association.

chigumbura is injured.