Stalemate in contract talks

Talks between Zimbabwe Cricket's Technical and Player Welfare Sub-Committee and the country's disgruntled players on Friday ended with little progress, although Clive Field, the players' representative, said that there was commitment on both sides to find a solution.

There was no real headway regarding the outstanding match fees owed from last year. The board wants to pay these in Zimbabwe dollars, arguing that local laws insist they do so. The players maintain that they have taken legal advice and they can be paid in US dollars. Runaway inflation and a virtually worthless Zimbabwe dollar means that payment in the local currency is not an attractive proposition. Both sides agreed to differ, and ZC officials said they were seeking advice from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. However, if no settlement is forthcoming by January 31, it is likely the players will start legal action against the board.

With regards to the new contracts, the board made an offer which would mean that 25 players would be handed new deals with remuneration based on their Test averages. The top band of payment for batsmen, for example, would be for anyone averaging over 45. As things stand, none of the Zimbabwe side would qualify for the top two tiers iunder the bowling criteria.

Field said that it was clear that there was a take-it-or-leave-it attitude on the part of the board, and that any objections from the players would be acknowledged but not necessarily considered.. "We are pursuing dialogue and we have no option but to try to make progress," he told Cricinfo. "To do anything else would signal the end.

"We respect the commitment given by the committee and will try to match it. But we still have many issues to be resolved."

It is unlikely that anything will be resolved by the January 31 deadline imposed by the Sports & Recreation Committee, but given that both sides are making efforts and are still talking, that is not thought to be a major concern.

What is clear is that the board will not allow this to drag on too long, and if the players refuse to sign new contracts, then they will be bypassed and the next tier of cricketers elevated to the national stage. Whether they are good enough to play international cricket, or even to appease the international community, remains questionable.