The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ONE of the most experienced players in the current Zimbabwe senior national men’s cricket team, Sean Williams is retiring from the international game, with the tour of Ireland and Scotland to be his last in Zimbabwean colours.
Williams on Tuesday, just before he boarded the plane to Ireland to join the rest of the Zimbabwean team for a limited overs tour wrote to the Zimbabwe cricket team management informing them of his decision to retire. The 34-year-old left-handed all-rounder also informed his employer, Zimbabwe Cricket of his intention to serve his three months’ notice before he walks away in terms of his contract at the end of November. He has 10 months left on his central contract.
The player only left for Ireland on Tuesday having remained behind after requesting for a “mental” break, which is understand to have been caused by what transpired during the national team’s camp in Harare. Williams left together with Sikandar Raza who stayed behind because he is not part of the Twenty20 International series against Ireland as well as Tarisai Musakanda whose visa was not out when the rest of the squad departed last Thursday.
Because they have to go into quarantine in Ireland before they are allowed to train, Williams and Musakanda will not play in the five Twenty20 Internationals against the Irish. Williams and Raza are on coach Lalchand Rajput’s plans for the three-match One Day Internationals against Ireland, which are part of the International Cricket Council’s Cricket World Cup Super League.
Since Williams could not travel with the rest of the squad last week, Brendan Taylor, initially meant to remain behind with Raza was asked to make the trip to the European country.
Williams is said to be angry with moves by Rajput to shift him down the order in T20Is and push out senior players from the shortest format of the game.
Sources close to Williams have hinted that so pissed off with the developments is the Test captain that if there is no intervention from ZC, the player might ask to return home after the ODIs against Ireland and not play in the three T20Is against Scotland.
For the tour to Ireland and Scotland, Williams was meant to be captain but ZC had to appoint veteran batsman Craig Ervine who recently turned 36. Since the beginning of last year, ZC have rotated the captaincy for the limited overs, with Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Brendan Taylor and Williams having taken turns to lead the team.
Williams has played 14 Tests, 136 ODIs and 47 T20Is for Zimbabwe since he made his international debut in February 2005 against South Africa. _@Mdawini_29
