HARARE - Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers Association (ZPCA) secretary-general Eliah Zvimba has castigated the local cricket governing body for “applying selective approach” in dealing with the striking players.
The national team resumed training last week with central contracted players reportedly getting transport allowances while those from franchise contracted players were left to fend for themselves.
Players, however, boycotted the start of a domestic Twenty20 competition after ZC failed to pay them their outstanding wages as promised on Monday.
Zvimba said treating the players differently at a time when they were all being owed by the association was akin to applying the "divide and rule" system.
"...Contracted players were given something to use for transport, we really appreciate that but it was basically for a week and the week has elapsed and how are they going to come back for training," Zvimba asked rhetorically.
"This development also did not go down well with us because these (central contracts) are not the only players. We felt they had to do the same for every player regardless of their contracts.
"We don't want a divide and rule situation where you think these ones are better off than the others."
ZC's anticipated $3 million loan facility from the International Cricket Council (ICC) failed to materialise in time for the tournament and in a desperate bid to avert the crisis, Zvimba said he was made to talk to a representative from ICC over the phone.
"All we got was an assurance that 'we are working on the ZC documentation and the money will be released in a week.' But that confirmation came in the evening and worse still on the eve of the tournament and it was going to be very difficult to convince the players who had travelled all the way from their different bases to play without being paid their monies.
“The majority of the players had returned back to their homes by yesterday afternoon.
"The comfort was better in their homes," added Zvimba.
"Our position is that ZC can reschedule their tournament. We can only play when there's confirmation from our banks and we are not going to accept whatever explanation, even if it's going to come from the moon."
In a statement on Monday, ZC spokesperson Lovemore Banda said the ICC is committed to fulfil their undertaking soon.
"Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is waiting for the financial support from the International Cricket Council (ICC)," said Banda.
"...The ICC official assured the players' representative that the world cricket governing body would, early this week, honour its promise to send the money."