"It has been agreed between the ZCU and the 15 cricketers who have up to now been unavailable for selection that... (they) will be at practice with effect from April 30," said the ZCU.

The players had demanded the reinstatement of Heath Streak as captain, a new selection panel and for the ZCU to acknowledge transgressions the players say were committed by officials.

But the dispute, sparked on April 2 when the ZCU installed Tatenda Taibu as captain after Streak questioned the composition of the selection panel, is set to continue at arbitration.

"The 15 cricketers will be communicating through their legal practitioners to the ZCU's legal practitioners a proposal for a dispute resolution procedure, which the ZCU will consider when received," the ZCU statement said.

One of the players, who declined to be named, told Reuters the saga was not over.

"We have agreed to go back on Friday but we're certainly still trying to push for arbitration," the player said. "It's definitely not the end of all this.

"We're trying to show good faith once again and we're going to practice but if certain things aren't sorted out we're going back to square one."

The rebels will not play in the fifth and final one-day international against Sri Lanka in Harare on Thursday but, barring further fallouts with the board, they will be available for first of two Test matches in Harare from May 6.

Zimbabwe had to select an under-strength squad for the one-day series and Sri Lanka won the first four matches.

AFP's earlier reports add, the ZCU issued a statement on Wednesday suggesting a breakthrough in the near month-long stand off.

Hopes of an end to the damaging rift were raised when the ZCU said the players led by sacked former captain Streak had finally agreed to return to the nets on Friday and be available for two upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka.

But senior player Grant Flower stressed their return should not be taken as a forgone conclusion.

"Whether we actually do practice and make ourselves available for the Tests depends on certain conditions which we will be making in our own statement about tomorrow (Thursday)," he said.

This was the latest attempt to bring a resolution to the crisis that has hit the Zimbabwe game.

It follows a similar statement from the ZCU on Monday saying the rebels would resume practise on Wednesday in return for the setting up of an independent arbitration process.

That came to nothing when it became clear to the players that any such procedure could not begin for at least a month and they therefore refused to carry through their side of the deal.