HARARE - Zimbabwean cricket players have unanimously agreed to boycott all forms of cricket until they are paid outstanding dues owed to them by the game’s governing body, it emerged last night.
Senior players from different franchise teams held a meeting in Harare Thursday following the drawn Logan Cup match between Mashonaland Eagles and Midwest Rhinos, where they settled for industrial action as a last resort after going for several months without receiving their salaries and match fees.
It is also understood that Zimbabwe Cricket’s middle and lower level staff are also wallowing in poverty as the association has not paid them in five months. Only last month, some of the employees were paid sums $500 each, way below their stipulated salaries.
In reaction to this non-payment of dues at different levels in the organisation, matters came to a head yesterday when players decided that enough was enough and downed their tools.
Among the concerns raised was the issue of unpaid salaries, match fees, winning bonuses and allowances that dates back to as far as September for the centrally contracted players, making it four months of outstanding payments.
“There will not be any cricket until we have been paid, normally we are would keep quiet afraid of what would happen to us if we speak out but this is the final straw. We have families and we have team mates who we know have serious financial problems and we are doing it for them,” one of the senior players told the Daily News yesterday.
“We have all spoken to the senior players from all five franchises and we are united as players. Unfortunately, those employed in the administration offices are not united enough to take a stance, we are also doing this for them.”
Both players on central contracts and franchise-contracted players are owed salaries and other dues.
The latest standoff has thrown the forthcoming tour to Zimbabwe by emerging nation Afghanistan into serious doubt.
Second-tier side Afghanistan are scheduled to make their maiden tour to a Full Member nation late January for several Twenty20 internationals and one ODI.
“It’s funny that these guys are planning to bring in Afghanistan next month, when they haven’t even paid us for the India tour and match winning bonuses among other things, if anything they should cancel that tour and pay us by the time the World Twenty20 comes , otherwise we won’t play in that (Afghanistan) series.”