By Steve Vickers BBC Sport, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe lost their recent one-day series 3-0 to Australia

Zimbabwe's convenor of selectors, Steve Mangongo, believes it would be wrong to deprive them of Test status.

With 15 rebel players unavailable for selection, a makeshift side twice lost by an innings to Sri Lanka last month.

Two Tests against Australia were then postponed indefinitely by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU).

"We should be given a two or three-year grace period with all the necessary support from the ICC so we can sustain ourselves," Mangongo told BBC Sport.

Mangongo added: "We should be allowed to continue with our Test programme, but at the same time have more games for the 'A' team.

"By then, things would have stabilised and the youngsters would be able to hold their own, and then it would be fair to judge us.

It would be retrogressive to kick Zimbabwe out of Test cricket Steve Mangongo

"It's the best solution, in the name of development and in the name of making sure that cricket becomes a global game and prospers in Africa."

Zimbabwe's current side consists largely of players from the under-19 and 'A' sides, and has an average age of 20.

The issue of Zimbabwe's Test status is expected to be discussed at an ICC board meeting on 27 June.

If the country is stripped of Test status, the ZCU would struggle to sustain its development programme and there are fears that a collapse of the game would follow.

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"World cricket needs more countries playing, not fewer, and it would be retrogressive to kick Zimbabwe out of Test cricket," Mangongo added.

"The most positive thing would be to ensure that in the shortest possible time we'll be able to compete, by bringing specialist coaches like Bob Woolmer here or sending some of our boys to Australia's Institute of Sport or elsewhere."

Mangongo was the first black Zimbabwean to receive a cricket scholarship, and is credited with grooming captain Tatenda Taibu and many other young black players.

However, he has been a target of the rebels, who insist that selectors should have played first-class cricket.

Mangongo himself would like to see a solution to the stand-off between the ZCU and the rebels.