Muzarabani drops out of Zimbabwe cricket team

Blessing Muzarabani, 21-year-old Zimbabwean pacer dropped out of international cricket on Thursday for an indefinite period of time.

The fast bowler has not specified any reason for his departure from the Zimbabwe cricket team, although the decision fires warning shots to the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), which is going through an insecure administrative period.

ZC is currently surviving on financial support from the International Cricket Council (ICC), giving it time to downsize its expenses and debts. Most of the ZC staff members will be left without contracts from August 31, while only a handful will be working for the domestic season in November.

Muzarabani played many matches for Zimbabwe including one Test, 18 ODIs, and six T20Is. The latest match played was against Pakistan in July. On his test debut of the four-day Boxing Day Test in South Africa, Muzarabani had gone wicketless. Later in 2018, he played in an ODI tri-series that included Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, in T20s against Afghanistan in Sharjah, and in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Despite not participating in the practice matches, Muzarabani took part in the home triangular T20 tournament against Australia and Pakistan in June-July.

"I wish my former team-mates and Zimbabwe Cricket all the very best for the future. I have been honoured to represent my country but feel this is an appropriate time for me to pursue other challenges both personally and professionally," Muzarabani said in a statement to ESPN Cricinfo.

Muzarabani is the only player to have backed out of the upcoming tours of South Africa and Bangladesh. Apart from this, five international players- Brendan Taylor, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza also declined from taking part in the home matches against Australia and Pakistan due to non-payment of salaries. However, Taylor confirmed to make himself available for the team again.

The ICC later released a special incentive for ZC in order to let them pay the players.