Thirteen players have handed the Zimbabwe Cricket Union an ultimatum that details their concerns and examples of alleged misconduct by officials.

The statement has been signed by Heath Streak, Stuart Carlisle, Grant Flower, Craig Wishart, Andy Blignaut, Raymond Price, Gary Brent, Sean Ervine, Travis Friend, Barney Rogers, Trevor Gripper, Richard Sims and Neil Ferreira.

A player who declined to be named told Reuters from Harare that the statement amounted to an ultimatum.

"If they reject the concerns we raise in the document we're going to walk [resign]," the player said.

The players raise issues in several areas, among them an "unprofessional manner of selection" that allows "interference of a non-sporting agenda".

"There has, in our view, been racial and ethnic discrimination in the selection of the national team," the statement said.

The ZCU refused to comment on the statement and said talks with players were ongoing.

"We are in meetings with players as I speak, so to comment on the document would be to isolate the whole process," ZCU media officer Lovemore Banda said from Harare on Tuesday.

The six-page statement says the players do not believe the ZCU's claim that Streak threatened to resign the Zimbabwe captaincy if his concerns were not addressed.

The ZCU accepted what it said was Streak's offer to quit all cricket and appointed Tatenda Taibu to the captaincy.

"We must stress that we wholeheartedly support the development objectives of the ZCU and the need to take the game to the majority of Zimbabweans," the statement said.

"However, in our view there has been so much interference that deserving players of all races have been excluded from both the national team and the Zimbabwe A team solely because of their race or region from where they come."

The document calls for independent intervention as the only way to end the impasse.

"Our collective position is we remain committed to the possibility of rectifying the current state of affairs," the statement said.

"However we believe, given the lack of goodwill between the stake holders, that dialogue through an independent mediating body at a neutral venue is the only way forward in finding an amicable and acceptable position for both the ZCU and aggrieved players."

The document did not include a deadline when players might resign.