24 May 2004	Monday	04 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

HARARE, May 23: The International Cricket Council is being increasingly dragged into the dispute between the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and the 12 striking players here in Harare.

The Council is this weekend considering a letter from Chris Venturas, the players' legal representative, which asks them to set up a disputes committee whose brief would be to try and bring the increasingly vicious row to a conclusion.

Venturas said: "I sent the letter directly and personally to Speed on Thursday. We hope the ICC will be able to act along such lines, possibly with the establishment of a three-person arbitration panel in Harare, or one which would meet with their approval.

"The impasse has got to such a state that some way through it really has to be found. However, I don't expect the ZCU will co-operate or have anything to do with it, in which case it will all have to end up in court."

The Zimbabwe union has consistently rejected arbitration, a proposal occasionally made by the players in the last month or so of the dispute, which began on April 2 with the sacking of former captain Heath Streak after he objected to certain members of the national selection panel.

His colleagues immediately downed bats and balls after unsuccessfully demanding his reinstatement. The row culminated on Friday with the cancellation of two Test matches between Zimbabwe and Australia - technically postponements, but they won't be played for at least four years.

This was because what remained of the Zimbabwe playing strength was considered too low to provide Australia with feasible opposition. However, a decision to play the scheduled three one-day internationals was made on the basis that they are of considerably less importance.

Immediately the agreement to drop the Tests was made by the ZCU and Cricket Australia, the board of ZCU sacked the 12 players, citing the fact that they offered themselves for selection "conditionally" and for speaking publicly about the stand-off - "in contravention of the terms of their contracts."

They were forced to hand back sponsored vehicles, cell-phones and other perks and they are now in limbo. They are expecting to meet again possibly on Wednesday. -AFP