Zimbabwe cricket remains plagued due to administrative and political issues.
Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) - a state-owned enterprise reporting to the sports ministry of the country - suspended the Zimbabwe Cricket Board (ZC) on Friday (June 21) with immediate effect.
As per a report, ZC acting managing director Givemore Makoni was also banned from his position.
The SRC had issued a directive last week to suspend ZC's electoral process, according to which the recent appointment of Tavengwa Mukuhlani for a four-year term as chairman had put ZC in conflict with the government organisation.
An interim committee including David Ellman-Brown, Ahmed Ibrahim, Charlie Robertson, Cyprian Mandenge, Robertson Chinyengetere, Sekesai Nhokwara and Duncan Frost has been formed to run cricket in the nation.
The SRC claims that it was forced to act after several complaints of violations of the constitution and other controversies.
"It cannot be in national interest that a national sporting association continues to conduct itself in a manner that it suggests that it and its officials are a law unto themselves," says a release issued by SRC.
"Certain of its office bearers, past and present, have been the subject matter of allegations involving fraud exchange control violations and other acts of corruption and criminality related to the monies and assets of Zimbabwe Cricket and the International Cricket Council."
The move comes after SRC's issued directive that Zimbabwe Cricket's elective annual general meeting be suspended wasn't abided by. The command was made in wake of alleged complaints about the nomination process and the violation of the board's constitution.
However, the suspended chairman Mukuhlani said the suspension directive is not in accordance with either ZC's constitution or SRC's own set of rules.
"In its totality, the SRC directive is illegal and SRC are forcing us to follow an illegal instruction," he was quoted saying.
A full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), ZC is also subject to the rules of the world body. But SRC clearly stated it doesn't mean the board is immune from the laws of the land.
The matter is now expected to be discussed at the ICC annual conference next month. Zimbabwe failed to qualify for this year's World Cup in UK and just lost an ODI series in Netherlands 2-0, en route to the tour of Ireland.
(Inputs from CricketNext)