Zimbabwe racism hearing delayed after row

Zimbabwe racism hearing delayed after row

HEATH Streak objected to presence of ZCU officials

• ZCU battles racism allegations

• England cricketers googly about Zim tour

By Agencies

THE first day of an International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing in Harare on racism in Zimbabwean cricket ended abruptly today when the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) did not accept a ruling barring some of its officials from being present when witnesses testify.

The three-day closed hearing first stalled when Chris Venturas, the lawyer representing the 15 rebel players who have alleged the ZCU is racist, objected to the presence of ZCU officials who have been implicated in the players' allegations.

Two ZCU board members, Ozias Bvute and Max Ebrahim, and the chairman of the provincial Mashonaland Cricket Association, Tavengwa Mkuhlani, were present at the hearing.

According to witnesses Venturas sought to have the three men excluded after Norman Arendse, the ZCU's lawyer, made an inflammatory comment to the first witness while the witness was giving testimony.

During an adjournment, and in view of reporters outside the hearing room, Venturas challenged another member of the ZCU's legal team about Arendse's comment. Arendse appeared to respond by grabbing Venturas' shoulder.

Venturas then asked the ICC panel, which consists of India's solicitor general Goolam Vahanvati and South African high court judge Steven Majiedt, to have the three officials excluded.

The panel ruled the three should not be present to hear witnesses' testimony. The ZCU would not accept the decision and threatened to withdraw from the hearing.

The day's proceedings ended soon afterwards.

The ZCU declined to comment while Venturas said: "I have been gagged."

The hearing is the latest development in a saga that started on April 2 when the ZCU removed Heath Streak as captain and replaced him with Tatenda Taibu. Streak had questioned the composition of Zimbabwe's selection panel.

The 15 white rebels demanded Streak's reinstatement, a new selection panel and that the ZCU acknowledge a series of transgressions, including racism, they say were committed by ZCU officials.

Zimbabwe were then forced to select an inexperienced squad who lost 10 consecutive matches before the ICC suspended their test programme until the end of the year.
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