cc2003btw
Club Cricketer
Zimbabwe's interim cricket board has suspended the country's Test status for the remainder of 2006.
The Zimbabwe government took control of domestic cricket on 6 January, sparking fears for the game.
Zimbabwe Cricket said it had decided to suspend playing in Tests "after considering recent performances", but the nation will still play one-dayers.
"ZC is now putting in place a programme to galvanise the development of the Zimbabwe squads," added the statement.
"It will work with other Test nations and the International Cricket Council itself to realise this objective."
The decision was taken at an interim board meeting in Harare.
"The guys don't feel for a second that it will be resolved by 31 January"
Clive Field
Zimbabwe cricketers' spokesman
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Zimbabwe's cricketers have been in dispute with the cricket union since November.
But they had recently put strike action on hold until 31 January in the wake of the government taking charge.
The players accepted assurances that their contractual grievances would be addressed.
But their representative, Clive Field, said at the time that he was pessimistic about the issue being settled by the deadline.
The dispute began when Tatenda Taibu resigned as Zimbabwe captain and announced his retirement from international cricket in protest at the way the game was being run.
Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka and managing director Ozias Bvute were subsequently questioned by police as part of a fraud investigation.
And police also interviewed players Vusi Sibanda and Waddington Mwayenga about alleged breaches of the country's foreign exchange laws.
Zimbabwe's recent record has been poor, losing seven of their last 10 Tests by an innings and also tasting defeat in 26 of their last 28 one-dayers.
BBC Sport
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Well about bloody time too.
The Zimbabwe government took control of domestic cricket on 6 January, sparking fears for the game.
Zimbabwe Cricket said it had decided to suspend playing in Tests "after considering recent performances", but the nation will still play one-dayers.
"ZC is now putting in place a programme to galvanise the development of the Zimbabwe squads," added the statement.
"It will work with other Test nations and the International Cricket Council itself to realise this objective."
The decision was taken at an interim board meeting in Harare.
"The guys don't feel for a second that it will be resolved by 31 January"
Clive Field
Zimbabwe cricketers' spokesman
----
Zimbabwe's cricketers have been in dispute with the cricket union since November.
But they had recently put strike action on hold until 31 January in the wake of the government taking charge.
The players accepted assurances that their contractual grievances would be addressed.
But their representative, Clive Field, said at the time that he was pessimistic about the issue being settled by the deadline.
The dispute began when Tatenda Taibu resigned as Zimbabwe captain and announced his retirement from international cricket in protest at the way the game was being run.
Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka and managing director Ozias Bvute were subsequently questioned by police as part of a fraud investigation.
And police also interviewed players Vusi Sibanda and Waddington Mwayenga about alleged breaches of the country's foreign exchange laws.
Zimbabwe's recent record has been poor, losing seven of their last 10 Tests by an innings and also tasting defeat in 26 of their last 28 one-dayers.
BBC Sport
------------------------------------------------
Well about bloody time too.
