Taibu dropped due to personal issues

	Tatenda Taibu won't be facing Sri Lanka in the four-day game © AFP

Tatenda Taibu, the former Zimbabwe captain, has been left out the Zimbabwe Select side to play Sri Lanka in the opening match of their tour due to personal reasons.

"We dropped him from the squad because he has personal issues to deal with," Kenyon Ziehl, the convener of selectors, said. "At this level of the game, we cannot send a player onto the field if he is not in the right frame of mind."

Taibu was involved in a fracas with a board official last month and was only persuaded to join Zimbabwe's tour of Canada and Kenya an hour before the squad left Harare after initially pulling out. He is understood still to be at odds with senior members of Zimbabwe Cricket.

National captain Prosper Utseya will lead the Select XI, which is close to a full-strength Zimbabwe side, in the only first-class match of the tour which includes five ODIs.

Wilfred Mukondiwa, the deputy managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, said he hoped that including the four-day match will help the country stake a claim for a return to Test level. "The four-day game that begins at the Queens Sports Club on Wednesday might not be that important to Sri Lanka, but is of significance to us as it is part of our programme to give our maturing side more exposure to the longer version of the game in preparation for our resumption of Tests."

However, in the lead-up to the Sri Lanka series two further players have left Zimbabwe after falling out with the board. Sean Williams, the allrounder, and wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor have headed overseas to play club cricket to further weaken the resources available.

Ray Price is another absentee, but sources close to the board suggest that he has been told he is not part of future plans. This is taken by some as a sign that hardline elements within ZC have increased their influence over selection issues. Robin Brown, who was replaced as coach earlier this year, clashed with board members who were demanding that more black players be included in the side.

Squad Propser Utseya (capt), Regis Chakabva, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Keith Dabengwa, Trevor Garwe, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirayi Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Christopher Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa and Tafadzwa Ngulube.