Mbangwa played 15 Tests between 1996 and 2000

The group, headed by former captain Heath Streak, had accused the Zimbabwe Cricket Union of "racial and ethnic discrimination" in team selection.

The panel has been slimmed down to four and now includes former Test seam bowler Mpumelelo 'Pommie' Mbangwa.

The 27-year-old was one of two names suggested to the ZCU by Streak.

Peter Mangongo will chair the new selection panel, which also includes Max Ebrahim and Richie Kaschula, the latter a former spin bowler with extensive experience at domestic first-class level.

The squad for the forthcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka was due to be named later on Thursday.

The 13 players involved in the dispute are all white and only one of them, Neil Ferreira, has yet to represent Zimbabwe at senior international level.

We might just have an agreement Players' lawyer Chris Venturas

The group also includes another former captain, Stuart Carlisle, and Grant Flower, whose brother Andy quit last year after he and Henry Olonga staged a black armband protest during the World Cup.

They said: "We are all deeply patriotic, to Zimbabwe cricket, to all our colleagues and to Zimbabwean cricket supporters of all races."

The players issued a detailed statement on Wednesday in which they said: "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."

They have called for an "independent mediating body" to oversee future talks with the ZCU.

They claim it is "the only way forward in finding an amicable and acceptable position for both the ZCU and aggrieved players".

PLAYERS INVOLVED Heath Streak Stuart Carlisle Grant Flower Craig Wishart Andy Blignaut Ray Price Gary Brent Sean Ervine Travis Friend Barney Rogers Trevor Gripper Richard Sims Neil Ferreira Gilchrist backs Zim tour

The row stems from the sacking of Streak after he questioned the composition of the national selection committee.

He will be replaced by Tatenda Taibu for the forthcoming home series against Sri Lanka.

The row resulted in two domestic Logan Cup fixtures being played between teams made up almost exclusively of black players.

The International Cricket Council, meanwhile, has said it would not intervene.

But president Ehsan Mani said: "I believe that everyone involved in international cricket has a duty to act in the best interests of the game.

"I hope in this current situation the stakeholders involved can use this unity of purpose to reach a sensible solution."