Sean Williams Ends T20I Journey:
In a shocking turn of events ahead of the much-awaited T20 World Cup 2024, Zimbabwe's cricket team has been dealt a significant blow. Zimbabwe's star all-rounder, Sean Williams, has bid farewell to T20 international cricket. At age 37, Williams made his retirement decision following the fifth T20 match against Bangladesh. The T20 World Cup is set to unfold in June, hosted by the USA and West Indies.
Zimbabwe lost the five-match T20 series to Bangladesh 1-4, although the team managed to clench victory in the final match. It was, however, the swansong of Williams' T20 international career, only appearing in the first and last match of the series.
Williams Leaves with Impressive T20 International Record
Reports suggest that while retiring from T20I, Sean Williams will continue his career in ODI and Test matches. The all-rounder has carved an indelible record in T20 international cricket, surpassing the achievements of Indian captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and West Indies’ star player Chris Gayle.
Source: aajtak
Williams stands as the world's second-longest playing cricketer in T20 international matches, a career spanning over 17 years and 166 days. Currently, only Bangladesh's all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has played longer, and he is still active in the sport.
Both Rohit Sharma and Bangladesh's Mahmudullah are on their 17th year, whereas Virat Kohli is in his 14th, and Chris Gayle has reached his 16th year. Gayle's last game took place on November 6, 2021, even though he has not officially announced his retirement yet.
Williams' T20I Debut in 2006
A Zimbabwean official confirmed, "Williams has decided to retire from T20 international cricket. He informed his teammates of his decision after the match (Zimbabwe vs. Bangladesh)."
Throughout his career, Williams has played 81 T20 international matches for Zimbabwe, scoring 1691 runs at a strike rate of 126.38. Additionally, he has taken 48 wickets. He made his T20I debut on November 28, 2006, ironically also against Bangladesh, in Khulna.
