Adelaide, Oct 09: The issue of having a quota of coloured players in the Zimbabwean cricket side has been a "bone of contention" within the team, former skipper Andy Flower said here today. Flower, in exile from Zimbabwe following his protest against the Mugabe regime during the World Cup earlier this year, arrived here today to play for south Australia in the Australian summer season.
Zimbabwean players and officials have denied there is a quota of coloured players within the team to play Australia in the current first test in Perth, saying the side was chosen on merit.
The issue was raised by Flower's former teammate, batsman Murray Goodwin, who said black cricketers got a "free ride" into the Zimbabwe team.
"That has been a bone of contention for a number of years," Flower said.
"I haven't been involved in the Zimbabwe set-up for a while but that has certainly been an issue over the years."
"Some believe it's the right way forward and some disagree."
"There are various schools of thought and there has certainly been an element of it over the years, and probably is now."
Bureau Report