Zimbabwe's government has taken over the running of cricket in the southern African country, the International Cricket Council said on Friday.
The Zimbabwe team announced last month it would go on indefinite strike in protest at the way the national governing body was running the game, the latest in a series of rows between top players and officials.
The ICC website said the government has installed a new board to run the game until June 30 and Zimbabwean officials said they are prepared for any repercussions including the possibility of the country losing its Test status.
"The Zimbabwe government has finally taken over Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) in a shattering move that will almost certainly usher the ultimate demise of the game in the country," said the website.
In an address to the media in Harare, Gibson Mashingaidze, an army brigadier and chairman of the government's sports and recreation commission, announced the reinstatement of Peter Chingoka as chairman of an interim board to run ZC.
Chingoka's removal as chairman is among the demands that have been made by the country's striking players.
"We are prepared to lose Test status," said Mashingaidze. "The government is saying we are starting afresh. We are not bothered."
The ICC rules state that countries must always field their strongest possible sides.
Mashingaidze added that Friday's decision was made with the blessing of President Robert Mugabe.
"The head of state is aware of this," he said.
Player representative Clive Field reacted to the latest developments by saying that Zimbabwe cricket now faced ruin.
ZIMBABWE CORPSE
"I think we're stuffed, more stuffed than we've ever been," Field said.
"If this is the bunch that's going to help them deliver cricket for the next six months, I don't know what they are going to be delivering at the end of it.
"I don't think it's going to be cricket, it's going to be a corpse."
Field hoped the anticipated exodus of players would spur the ICC into action. The game's ruling body has argued that it cannot become more involved in the crisis because Zimbabwe's problems are a domestic affair.
"Whether that will precipitate a crisis at ICC level, I'm not sure any more," said Field.
"I would have thought it would have but having seen what's happened I'm not sure."
Zimbabwe's players went on strike on December 22 over late pay, transport issues and the continued involvement of Chingoka and ZC managing director Ozias Bvute.
Tatenda Taibu resigned the Zimbabwe captaincy and cut all ties with the game in his country on November 24, citing alleged mismanagement by Chingoka and Bvute as his main reason for doing so.
Zimbabwean cricket was plunged into uncertainty in April when 15 players went on strike over the removal of Heath Streak from the captaincy and dissatisfaction with administrators.
That led to the selection of an inexperienced team, which has lost seven of its last 10 Tests by an innings.
The ICC's offices in Dubai were closed and no one from cricket's governing body was available for immediate comment.
