Another Zimbabwe Great's Career Ends Mysteriously After Substance Abuse Allegations

It seems that Zimbabwe can’t have normal farewells. After Brendan Taylor’s unceremonious retirement (now, he has reversed that and is playing again), marred by his role in not reporting corrupt practices, another Zimbabwean great, Sean Williams’ career ended without a farewell game. 

In fact, Williams, scheduled to play the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Africa Qualifier, did not appear for team practice and instead entered a private rehabilitation centre to get rid of his substance abuse problems. 

This apparently happened without any knowledge of Zimbabwe Cricket and that has led the board to end Williams’ international career, saying in a statement that he will not be considered for further selection procedures. 

They also said that the 39-year-old’s contract continuation with the board would "not be feasible" beyond its expiry on 31 December 2025. 

Thanking him for the pivotal role he played in the recent history of Zimbabwean cricket, the board wished him strength in recovery and ‘every success in his future endeavours’. 

Williams’ sudden disappearance from the national cricket scene during the recent Afghanistan tour of Zimbabwe was raised as a concern in the media, and it was only after that the board made the situation public. 

The southpaw ended up as the highest run getter, with 8,967 runs across formats for Zimbabwe. His 14 centuries are also the third-most for a Zimbabwe batter, with only Andy Flower (16) and Brendan Taylor (18) registering more tons than him. 

After Sikandar Raza, Williams is only the second Zimbabwean to take 150-plus wickets and score 5,000-plus runs across formats. His ODIs and Test numbers are even more telling, as the Bulawayo-born averages 37 and 45 with the bat, respectively.