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Zimbabwe Cricket captain Sean Williams quits

Published

4 years ago

August 26, 2021

BY FIRDOSE MOONDA

Sean Williams has informed the Zimbabwe team management of his intention to step away from international cricket after the team’s current tour of Ireland, but he remains open to the possibility of playing white-ball cricket for the country in the future.

Williams, the Zimbabwe Test captain right now, is with the national team in Ireland, but had earlier requested the selectors to not consider him for the five T20Is in Ireland, starting Friday, or the T20Is in Scotland next month.

But he is available for the three ODIs against Ireland, which will come after the T20Is.

ESPNcricinfo understands that he has cited bio bubble fatigue and uncertainty over his future as a cricketer as the main reasons for his decision.

Williams arrived in Ireland on Wednesday, six days after the rest of the squad, after requesting a mental-health break from the T20I series, and told the team management of his decision shortly after completing his isolation.

Before his arrival, Zimbabwe Cricket had to announce a fifth captain since the start of 2020 for the tour.

Craig Ervine will lead the side in Ireland and Scotland following on from Chamu Chibhabha, Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza and Williams over the last few series.

ESPNcricinfo understands that while Williams was not unhappy to not be given leadership duties on this tour, he had several other gripes with the way Zimbabwe cricket is being run and their string of poor results.

Under coach Lalchand Rajput, Zimbabwe have only won four ODIs in three years, all against the UAE, and there are serious concerns among senior players that they will not qualify for the 2023 50-over World Cup – Zimbabwe are currently at the bottom of the World Cup Super League points table.

Williams (34), is a veteran of the Zimbabwe team, having made his international debut in 2005, when he turned out in an ODI against South Africa in Johannesburg.

Overall, he has played 14 Tests, 136 ODIs and 47 T20Is. Primarily a middle-order batter, the left-handed Williams has 1034 runs in Tests, at an average of 41.36, with four centuries and three half-centuries, as well as 3958 ODI runs at 35.02, with four hundreds and 32 fifties.

He also 945 runs in T20Is, at an average of 22.50 and strike rate of 128.39, with six fifties.

To go with those numbers, he has picked up 21 wickets in Tests, 72 in ODIs, and 32 in T20Is with his left-arm spin.

He led Zimbabwe for the first time during a triangular T20I series in Singapore, with Nepal as the third team, in September-October 2019, but has been the team’s captain in a more regular capacity since 2020.

His performance with the bat, especially, has been noteworthy since he was given the reins of the Test team: three of his four Test centuries have come in four Tests as captain, including his best of 151* in what could turn out to be his last Test, and he has an average of 96.20 in those games. – ESPNcricinfo

In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

Published

1 week ago

May 15, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

In the community

Human-wildlife conflict claims 18 lives in Zimbabwe’s first quarter

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has reported a disturbing trend of human-wildlife conflict in the country’s first quarter of 2025. According to the authority, 18 people have lost their lives, and 32 others have been injured in encounters with wildlife.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo revealed that the authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict, which they managed to respond to promptly. The incidents have also resulted in significant livestock losses, with at least 53 cattle and 85 goats killed by wildlife.

The districts most affected by these incidents include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, and Mbire. ZimParks has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about wildlife behaviors and effective preventive measures in these areas.

In response to the crisis, ZimParks has translocated 129 animals back into protected areas and eliminated 158 animals deemed problematic.

“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to ZimParks Problem Animal Control numbers and local leadership, such as Councillors, Traditional Leaders, and Rural District Council Authorities, to ensure that we preserve lives,” Farawo urged.

The significant increase in livestock losses, with cattle deaths rising from 18 to 53 and goat deaths from 21 to 85 compared to the same period in 2024, highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe.

ZimParks’ efforts to mitigate the conflict include community initiatives to educate people on managing wildlife encounters effectively.