Heath Streak retires as players demand reinstatement of Simmons

By Tichaona Sibanda
19 October 2005

Zimbabwe Cricket has been plunged into crisis after national team players demanded the reinstatement of coach Phil Simmons, who was dismissed two months ago.

A letter from the players containing this demand and addressed to ZC President Peter Chingoka has been leaked to the press on the day Heath Streak announced his retirement from international cricket.

Streak’s decision has nothing to do with the Simmons affair, although there is strong suspicion within the ZC leadership that he was instrumental in instigating the drafting of the letter.

A cricket source in Harare said the plot to demand Simmons’ return was hatched whilst Peter Chingoka was in Australia for the International Cricket Council awards last week. He was accompanied on that trip by captain Tatenda Taibu, who, for the first time, has joined his team mates in voicing concern over the way the sport is being administered.

The letter, signed by all the 30 contracted ZC players said they felt the decision to fire Simmons was unjust, unfair and not in the best interests of Zimbabwe cricket.

The last time the players rebelled was during the Heath Streak crisis in April 2004. The former captain fell out with the ZC when he questioned their selection policies, which he viewed as racially biased.

His removal as captain led to walkout of 15 of the country’s senior players, and so began the country’s spiral from beatable but feisty opponents to a weak team that has lost five of their last six tests.

Streak returned to the team last year but fortunes did not change, and coupled with endless rows within the ZC, he has decided to retire and take up the captaincy of English county side Warwickshire.

He told Reuters from Bulawayo; ‘I’ve retired to perform my duties for Warwickshire, who have offered me a two year contract and want to appoint me captain.’