Disgraced Zimbabwean cricketer Mark Vermeulen has offered to help rebuild the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy — the very building he once set fire to! — if he is allowed to play the game, domestically, again.

"I'm jobless at the moment, the only job I can do is playing cricket. I've kindly asked Zimbabwe Cricket Board (ZC) to give me my job back, then I will give a percentage of my earning towards rebuilding of the Academy," the 29-year-old told Zimbabwe's Independent newspaper.

Incidentally, it is the same building, along with the ZC headquarters, Vermeulen had set fire to back in October 2006.

Although formal charges were brought against Vermeulen after the two acts of arson, those charges were dropped on psychiatric grounds, as Vermeulen suffers from a partial complex epilepsy and impulsive behaviour disorder after being dealt a blow to the head by Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan in 2004.

"What happened was very unfortunate but I wasn't aware just how much I wasn't in control. I am happy that everything is back on track. I hope that ZC will forgive and forget," he said.

"I think I'm now a better person. I've been taking my medication."

Although Zimbabwe badly needs players of Vermeulen's talent if they are to regain their Test status, Vermeulen's plea to the Zimbabwe Board has not been successful.

Vermeulen's history of erratic behaviour would make it very hard for the ZC to welcome him back, despite his pledge that he is now stable enough to play again.

The Zimbabwe Academy is still under construction, however, despite the ZC's initial claims that it would be in working order during April.

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