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Zimbabwe Cricket terminates Sean Williams' central contract for drug abuse

Debashis Sarangi

Sean Williams won't play for Zimbabwe anymore [Source: AFP]Sean Williams won't play for Zimbabwe anymore [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has announced that it will not renew the central contract of Sean  Williams amid the star batter's persistent unavailability for national selection. Sean Williams has admitted to being a drug addict, voluntarily opting for rehabilitation after withdrawing from ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2025. 

Williams faces Zimbabwe Cricket's wrath for drug addiction

Sean Williams recently pulled out from the T20 World Cup qualifier in Harare amid the talks of a potential dope test. The Zimbabwe cricket board conducted an internal probe to know the exact reason behind his abrupt withdrawal from the tournament. 

As revealed by Zimbabwe's apex cricketing body, Williams admitted to violating the anti-doping rule. This further escalated into a disciplinary action by Zimbabwe Cricket, which suspended the talismanic batter from all forms of cricket henceforth. Thus, Williams' repeated unavailability and drug addiction led to his downfall, putting an abrupt end to what has been a glorious international career spanning twenty years. 

"A review of Williams’ record indicates a history of disciplinary issues and repeated unavailability, which has impacted team preparations and performance. While ZC commends him for seeking rehabilitation, withdrawal from team commitments under circumstances involving potential testing raises serious concerns regarding professional and ethical standards. After careful consideration, ZC has concluded that Williams will no longer be considered for national selection. Consequently, it is not feasible to continue his national contract beyond its expiry on 31 December 2025," Zimbabwe Cricket revealed in its statement. 

Sean Williams' international career at a glance

Keeping his disciplinary issues aside, Sean Williams will definitely go down as one of the greatest players to represent Zimbabwe in international cricket. He is one of Zimbabwe's highest run-getters, having scored 8968 runs in 273 matches across formats. Additionally, he is third on the list of Zimbabwe batters with the most international centuries with fourteen tons under his belt in Tests, ODIs and T20Is combined. His absence is a huge loss for Zimbabwe, as the Chevrons will miss his all-round expertise in their upcoming international assignments.