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FORMER Zimbabwe senior national cricket team players Dion Ebrahim and Mark Vermuelen have not been offered contracts by Matabeleland Tuskers for next season.


Matabeleland Tuskers chief executive officer Stanley Staddon confirmed that the two top order batsmen would not be part of the Tuskers set up for next season.
He said Ebrahim no longer had a contract with Tuskers after he took unpaid leave to play club cricket in England while Vermeulen’s contract would not be renewed when it expires at the end of this month.
“Dion Ebrahim and Mark Vermeulen do not fit into our plans for next season, they still wanted to play for us but we did not have them in our plans. We have informed the two players when there is still time for them to find new employers before the start of the season,” said Staddon.
While the departure of Vermeulen was anticipated considering his well published wayward behaviour, the decision not to renew Ebrahim’s contract came as a surprise considering that Ebrahim was the leading run scorer for Tuskers in the country’s premier first class competition, the Logan Cup last season with 746 runs at a good average of 46.62 with a best score of 114 runs. The Tuskers chief executive officer said his franchise would give out 13 contracts to local players, two to overseas stars and sign one foreign player for Twenty20 cricket.
Newly appointed Matabeleland Tuskers coach David Houghton, who will be assisted by Heath Streak, is in England where he is hunting for three players who are going to include a wicketkeeper as Charles Coventry will be concentrating more on batting next season. Sources said Tuskers are targeting signing English county side Warwickshire all-rounder Neil Carter for Twenty20 cricket.
Staddon said they are in talks with potential sponsors for next season and was hoping to clinch all sponsorship deals before the start of the new season in September.
The Tuskers chief executive officer said his major focus next season is on the development of the game especially at grassroot level.
“Our emphasis next season is on development for clubs cricket, schools cricket, women’s cricket and age group cricket. We are going to work fulltime on development and find sponsors for development,” said Staddon.
The Bulawayo-based franchise did not have a fruitful outing on the field of play last season as they failed to land any of the three tournaments they took part in, finishing at the bottom of the Faithwear/Metropolitan One-Day competition, second from bottom in the Logan Cup and finished fourth in the Stanbic Bank Twenty20 series.
Just like last season, Matabeleland Tuskers start their campaign against Kwekwe-based Midwest Rhinos, this time around at Queens Sports Club on 6 September.

sloandog wrote:It's a sad story regarding Mark Vermuelan isn't it He came back into our side after all his off field probolems and did so well. Sadly it was hi last meaningful knock for us, and now it looks like he will never play for the national side again, or maybe even a franchise. It's a real shame, I do hope a franchise snaps his up quickly !