Zimbabwe's Sean Williams excluded from national selection amid rehab

Sean Williams, one of Zimbabwe’s most experienced cricketers, will not be considered for national selection after disclosing he has been struggling with drug addiction and entering a rehabilitation programme, the national board said in a statement on Tuesday. Zimbabwe Cricket said the 39-year-old allrounder withdrew from the squad on the eve of the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Harare in September and that an internal inquiry into his unavailability prompted his disclosure and decision to seek treatment.

During the review, the board said it found a history of disciplinary issues and repeated absences by Williams that had affected team preparations and performance. While the board commended him for entering rehabilitation, it concluded that he would not be eligible for future selection and that his central contract would not be renewed when it expires on 31 December 2025. The statement did not specify which substances were involved.

Williams made his international debut in 2005 and has played 273 matches across formats, including 24 Tests, 164 one-day internationals and 85 Twenty20 internationals. He has scored more than 8,000 runs for Zimbabwe, including 5,217 in ODIs at an...