We will play for free as long as we see light at the end of tunnel, reveals Zimbabwe player

With its membership of the International Cricket Council suspended after political interference by the government in its cricketing affairs, Zimbabwe are going through a highly troublesome phase. A country that has produced legends such as Andy Flower and Heath Streak might be on the verge of having to give up playing on the international stage.

However, in an effort to keep the game alive in their homeland, the players have reportedly agreed to play for free if they will be paid once the country can afford to do so. The male and female players have not been paid their dues for the past two months.

"We will play for free as long as we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our next assignment is the (T20 World Cup) qualifiers. I will play for free as long as we are assured that we will be paid eventually. We will play qualifiers for the sake of cricket staying alive and for free but to be paid late and not never," ESPNCricinfo reported a senior squad member as saying.

"As long as there's a future and you can see that things are going to fall into place, I have no doubt that most guys would," another player echoed the same sentiments.

With the World T20 coming up next year, Zimbabwe were scheduled to take place in the qualifiers to earn a spot in the same. The women’s qualifiers are scheduled for next month while the men’s tournament will take place in October. However, suspension means the country cannot participate in any ICC sanctioned events as things presently stand. 

To make things worse, four female players have been dropped from the ICC Global development squad as a consequence of the suspension of Zimbabwe Cricket. Thus, the only cricket that the players can still play is through bilateral series. But with no ICC funding for hosting teams, even that alternative seems to be unattainable as the council would still appoint match officials if any such tour goes ahead. The Sports and Recreation Commission has set up a committee to look into the issues and has formulated a contingency plan for player welfare but the details of it are yet to be revealed.

Zimbabwe was supposed to host the likes of West Indies, Ireland, and Afghanistan but these incoming tours will be canceled in all probability. However, they could still travel to India to play the three-match T20I series in January as slated if the players’ accept to waive their match fee.