CholeZimbo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 05, 2025 6:02 am
They could have just asked AI to help them.
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Statement from Zimbabwe Cricket
Zimbabwe Cricket acknowledges that Sean Williams has played a distinguished role in our national cricket team over many years. From his international debut in 2005, he has been a mainstay of our batting and his contributions—both in the field and in leadership—have helped shape the spirit of Zimbabwean cricket.
We would like to highlight a few key moments in his career:
• His century of 154 in a Test match in December 2024, which underlined his quality and endurance at the highest level.
• His status as one of our most experienced international players, having appeared in Tests, ODIs and T20s over a career spanning more than two decades. 
• His resilience through difficult periods—supporting the team through seasons of challenge and representing Zimbabwe on the global stage.
At the same time, we must address recent developments with full transparency. During an internal review, it was disclosed that Mr Williams has been experiencing a personal struggle with drug addiction and that he has voluntarily entered a rehabilitation programme. This situation emerged in the context of his unavailability and withdrawal from selection on multiple occasions—conditions that have impacted team planning and performance.
Given the seriousness of these disclosures and the need to maintain professional, ethical and anti-doping standards within our organisation, Zimbabwe Cricket has determined that Mr Williams will not be considered for future national selection and that his central contract will not be renewed upon its expiry at the end of December 2025.
We want to express publicly our profound gratitude to Sean for his long service, his achievements and his role in representing Zimbabwe. His highs and lows reflect both the potential and the pressures of international sport. We also want to emphasise our support for him as he embarks on his recovery journey.
Zimbabwe Cricket stands committed to the welfare of our players, to upholding integrity, and to learning from this experience so that our systems, culture and support mechanisms are strengthened for the future.
We wish Sean Williams every success in his rehabilitation, his future endeavours beyond cricket, and trust that his legacy will be remembered not only for runs and centuries, but also for the lessons his career provides.
— Zimbabwe Cricket
Ya that was a hatchet job and should have been handled a lot better. It's worth dissecting. Sean's past indiscretions are largely known. He's been almost indispensable and he's been given some latitude. He's not the only one, there are many others, but he's high profile and of course he's outspoken, in bursts.
It's not completely clear what the circumstances were. It just says he withdrew at the last minute and that triggered an "internal investigation."
One would suspect he'd been on a binge and feared or suspected an ICC test was possible/probable.
One can't refuse an ICC drugs test because the repercussions are big, but probably not as big, if one boxes smartly, as failing one. Right up to that point the situation was easily retrievable. Then something big went down.
This latest mess being the "last straw" is what is interesting, disappointing and sad.
Clearly there are a number of factors-
1. It would suggest he doesn't have the backing of Sammonds or Raza or a couple of other senior players. Sammonds would not have taken his 11th hour withdrawal well and one would assume he's also under a lot of pressure? Sammonds of course is under no obligation to cover for Williams, I'm not suggesting that, but it would most certainly indicate they at best they only had a professional relationship.
2. It would indicate there was a big blow out where a lot was said that couldn't be retrieved.
3. ZC have been lenient with him in the past, so what made this the last straw? By the way, that's also a 2 way street after 20 years of having a thorough knowledge of the machinations of ZC and all the dirt on a lot of players. The stories he could tell! One has to be a little careful throwing rocks in a glass house.
3. With Taylor as a "replacement" and potentially Knackers, Curran, Ervine and Welch now being on the peripherary, the hierarchy would definitely believe they don't need to be as tolerant. That unofficial quota firmly exists, take poison on that. They gave it up in one format which nobody watches, but its not a good look for them in a televised world cup.
My takeaway is this-
ZC are not under any obligation to look after players' mental states. They have looked after him and many others in the past, I'll most certainly give them that, but they've also burned a few guys. They give and they take, much like any other board.
Something really nasty went down that they have burned him in this fashion, and probably not just the hierarchy. Cricket is a nasty business. When you're down people will often settle old scores.
Should they have covered for him? That answer would be influenced by what was said when he dropped that bombshell and tempers were running hot.
I'd have said yes, he is our best player and has basically been part of the furniture for 2 decades and almost deserved to go out on his own terms....and our team is shite. The guy is a flawed legend.
What I find really wrong is that when everyone had cooled down and in the cold light of day they have chosen to release him in such a poor way.
