Zimbabwe players sign new contracts

It has emerged that Zimbabwe's cricket players have signed new contracts, ending speculation over their feud with the government-appointed Zimbabwe Cricket interim board.

Media reports had said that the players had gone back on strike again, but Cricinfo has been told that about 16 players sealed the deals after a meeting with representatives of the interim committee, adding to the six who had already signed late last year.

It had become clear that the players would be compelled to sign after most of them were said to be broke and were too weary of the row to have the energy to go into a prolonged legal battle with the interim board.

The decision to end the strike now leaves the remaining cricketers in a tricky situation. Either they have to comply with the board or they walk away in an event of another dispute. ZC's decision to refuse to recognise Clive Field, their representative, means they have no-one to fight their collective corner in the instance of another conflict.

It is not clear what was proposed with regards to the outstanding sums totalling over $200,000 owed to players