HARARE, Feb 4: Zimbabwe cricketers have turned down fresh offers of new contracts by the sport’s ruling body here in the latest twist to the chaos wracking the country’s cricket set-up.

The cricketers decided late Friday to refuse fresh deals for salaries the equivalent of US$1,200 down to $450 within three grades of senior, intermediate and junior.

The 25 players are also refusing to play in two sponsored inter-provincial matches scheduled for Sunday.

Their decision came after about 15 of the players were believed by colleagues to be inclined to take the contract offers because after six months without pay plus overdue Test match and ODI fees they were very short of money.

But after getting together formally under their association banner these 15 players changed their minds after persuasion. They all also took the opportunity to reaffirm their decision not to play for Zimbabwe in any representative cricket while chairman Peter Chingoka remains in place.

Details were given to AFP by two of the players on Saturday, but they asked not to be named “because we are nervous about possible reprisals.”—AFP