The Zimbabwe Cricket Union's (ZCU) claim that it has agreed a mediation procedure with the 15 rebel players refusing to represent their country has been disputed.

"The ZCU has furnished to Heath Streak and the players a proposal that they make themselves available immediately for selection and that if this is done a mediation procedure will be immediately established for the players' outstanding grievances to be ventilated before an independent mediator," a ZCU statement said on Monday.

"Agreement has been reached upon who the mediator will be and it is sincerely hoped that the impasse will be resolved on this basis, hopefully by the end of tomorrow (Tuesday)."

Vince Hogg, the ZCU's managing director, told Reuters the mediator was Much Masunda, a professional arbitrator in Zimbabwe. "He's very well respected by both parties," Hogg said.

However, a player who declined to be named disputed that the mediation process had been confirmed.

"There has been talk about mediation and about this process leading to arbitration, because we believe it will lead to arbitration," the player told Reuters.

"But we are still not up to date with regard to confirming mediation. We think it is Much Masunda, but we're not sure because we haven't voted on Much Masunda."

Hogg was bullish about resolving a crisis that was sparked by a decision taken at a ZCU board meeting on April 2 to replace Streak with Tatenda Taibu as team captain. Streak had questioned the composition of Zimbabwe's selection panel.

Fourteen other players joined Streak in a players' boycott. They demanded Streak's reinstatement, a new selection panel and that the ZCU acknowledged a series of transgressions the players say were committed by ZCU officials.

"The players had a nine-point agenda, and there's very little left," Hogg said. "They need to come back to work, and mediation and discussion can continue.

"I'm expecting them back at work on Wednesday. They should be available for Thursday's match (the fourth one-day international against Sri Lanka), if they're fit, and for the Test matches if the selectors choose them.

"The players wanted some cast-iron assurances about a mediation procedure, which we have given them now."

The player said the rebels would refuse to make the first move.

"The ZCU is telling us to go back to practise before mediation takes place, and we believe it should happen the other way around," he said.

"Come back to us after the mediation, and if it sounds good we'll go back.

"If it doesn't sound good we might have to go to arbitration, which is final and binding."

Zimbabwe were forced to select an inexperienced squad for the current one-day series against Sri Lanka.

Zimbabwe have lost all three matches so far, and were dismissed for a world record low total of 35 in Harare on Sunday.