Cricket: Contracts shunned

Zimbabwe cricketers have turned down fresh offers of new contracts by the sport's ruling body.

The cricketers decided to refuse fresh deals for salaries the equivalent of $US1200 ($1775) down to $US450 ($665).

The decision of the 25 players came after about 15 of them were believed to have favoured taking the offers because they were short of money after six months without pay plus overdue test and one-day international match fees.

The players also reaffirmed their decision not to play for Zimbabwe in any representative cricket while chairman Peter Chingoka remains in place.