Pink slip for Zimbabwe rebels

8220;We were talking about officially accepting mediation and we were going to make ourselves available for practice,8221; Stuart Carlisle, one of the rebels, said. 8220;Then we got a phone call to say our contracts have been terminated.8221;

Carlisle said the ZCU did not appear to have acknowledged that the players suspended their boycott last week and made themselves available, albeit temporarily. 8220;They did not accept that we remedied our original breach of contract when we went back to practice last week,8221; he said. Carlisle said the ZCU had demanded that the players return their sponsored vehicles by Wednesday and would pay them until Friday.

Carlisle said the dispute could end up in the civil courts.

8220;If they sue us, we will definitely counter-sue,8221; Carlisle said. 8220;We feel we have a very strong case, and we8217;re going to get an advocate involved.8221;

The dispute led to Zimbabwe selecting an inexperienced squad for the one-day series against Sri Lanka, which the visitors won 5-0.