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| June 10, 2003 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1424 |
Opener Vermeulen sent home in disgrace
CHESTER-LE-STREET (England), June 9: Zimbabwe’s miserable and controversial tour of England ran into more trouble on Sunday when opening batsman Mark Vermeulen was kicked out of the squad and sent home.
The decision to send the 24-year-old home in disgrace was confirmed by team manager Babu Meman following a disciplinary hearing held at the team hotel here where Zimbabwe were coming to terms with their innings defeat to England in the second Test on Saturday.
“Mark has been warned about his conduct on a number of separate occasions during the tour but unfortunately has not heeded that advice,” said Meman.
“The final straw concerned an incident that took place at the end of play on the Friday of the second Test. Mark ignored a management instruction to travel with the rest of the squad on the coach, which is a practice followed at all games to promote team morale and adhere to the security advice we have been given for the tour.
“Instead he left the ground on his own, deliberately ignoring a perfectly reasonable request,” said Mr Meman.
The incident is the latest blow for a team who have lost both Tests by an innings and have been dogged by criticism that the squad has been politically vetted by the regime of President Robert Mugabe.
It is also another setback for Vermeulen who suffered a fractured skull at the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year when he was hit during a net session.
“Mark is a talented player but he has to learn that the team comes before personal considerations,” said the team’s Australian coach Geoff Marsh.
“His poor behaviour means that he will now miss the opportunity to continue learning about international cricket. That is very disappointing for him personally, but even more so from the team perspective.”
Vermuelen played in both Tests and would have remained in the squad for the one-day triangular series against England and South Africa.
TRI-SERIES SQUAD
LONDON: The Zimbabwe squad named on Monday for the forthcoming one-day series with England and South Africa includes five changes from that which was thrashed by England in the just-completed Test series.
The major name missing from the squad is Mark Vermeulen, who was thrown off the tour on Sunday for persistent misconduct.
Mluleki Nkala, Barney Rogers and Vusi Sibanda have also been dropped to make way for specialist limited overs players.
Of the five new inclusions, Stuart Matsikenyeri played a minor role in Zimbabwe’s World Cup challenge earlier this year.
Captain Heath Streak said he was expecting better from his team after their 2-0 defeat to England in the Test series.
“As a squad we are probably better suited to the one-day game, as our recent performance in reaching the final of the Sharjah tournament showed,” said Streak.
“The new guys now have five lead-up games to acclimatise to English conditions, while the rest of the Test squad will be looking to adjust their techniques and approach from the five-day to the limited-overs format.
Squad: Heath Streak (captain), Tatenda Taibu (vice-captain), Dion Ebrahim, Grant Flower, Sean Ervine, Stuart Carlisle, Travis Friend, Andy Blignaut, Douglas Hondo, Ray Price, Douglas Marillier, Gary Brent, Waddington Mwayenga, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Charles Coventry, Richard Sims.—AFP
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