Zimbabwe Cricket, players’ dispute rages on

By Austin Karonga

It seems like there is no end in sight to the ongoing dispute between Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and a selected few top players who have been left out of the home tri-series involving Pakistan and Australia.

Brendan Taylor, Graeme Cremer, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine are all not part of the 15-man Zimbabwe squad for the tri series as the selectors settled for more emerging players to step forward in their absence.

On Monday, interim convenor of selectors Walter Chawaguta who was part of the senior men technical staff that was axed together with head coach Heath Streak for poor results, told reporters that the players had not made themselves available for selection.

“They were approached after not availing themselves for the selection process that we put in place and still they personally gave me their word that they are not available for selection until their issues are sorted out,” Chawaguta told reporters at Harare Sports Club.

“Hopefully this settles the lies that have been doing rounds that they were left out, they didn’t avail themselves for selection. Let me set the record straight: Brendan Taylor, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza were not overlooked, but they did not avail themselves for selection.”

This, however, was not well received by Taylor and former national team captain and recently convenor of selectors Tatenda Taibu, who hit back at Chawaguta.

“Stop talking s***. I made it very clear to you,” Taylor responded to Chawaguta on Twitter.

Former wicketkeeper Taibu, who has been on an offensive overdrive against ZC, dismissed Chawaguta’s statement as lies.

“My my my…lies. Who doesn’t know what’s going on…The next thing ZC will be telling us that Michael Jackson and Tupac have started a band and Nelson Mandela is their manager,” Taibu tweeted.

“I think Walter Chawaguta must choose his words carefully before I release life-damaging information which I also have on record. For a man who preaches it will not be nice for me to do so. Please don’t push me to do things like that.”

Meanwhile, Chawaguta reiterated that the door is open for the five players and others in similar circumstances should they avail themselves for selection.

“As a result of that obviously we are missing out on … Taylor who is arguably the most feared player, two genuine world-class all-rounders in Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams that will always have an impact if players of that calibre miss out,” Chawaguta added.

“If they make themselves available our job as selectors is to look at where they fit in, in the bigger scheme of things like I said these are serious players. You don’t just let a player of that calibre leave just like that, once their issues are settled when the dust settles and make themselves available certainly we will be sitting down on the table and see where they fit in.” DailyNews