Zimbabwe veteran faces end of international career after disclosing drug addiction

Williams withdrew from Zimbabwe's squad on the eve of the T20 World Cup Africa qualifier in September, citing personal reasons at the time. A statement from Zimbabwe Cricket released today (November 4) stated that, during an internal investigation into the reasons for his unavailability, Williams disclosed to the board that he had been struggling with drug addiction, and that he had voluntarily entered rehabilitation. Zimbabwe went on to win the Qualifier, beating Namibia in the final, and subsequently qualified for the 2026 men's T20 World Cup.The statement also referred to "a history of disciplinary issues and repeated unavailability" from Williams, "which has impacted team preparations and performance"."While ZC commends him for seeking rehabilitation, withdrawal from team commitments under circumstances involving potential testing raises serious concerns regarding professional and ethical standards," continued the statement. "After careful consideration, ZC has concluded that Williams will no longer be considered for national selection. Consequently, it is not feasible to continue his national contract beyond its expiry on 31 December 2025."Williams has played 273 matches for Zimbabwe across his career, which has spanned more than 20 years. He made his international debut in 2005, and has scored more than 8,000 cross-format runs for Zimbabwe. Earlier this year, he became the longest-serving active international cricketer.However, this is the latest of several incidents between him and the Zimbabwe Cricket board. Early in his career, he turned down a central contract in order to play overseas, but changed his mind months later. He did the same in 2008, where he went to play in South Africa only to come back to Zimbabwe weeks later. In 2014, he was left out of a tour of Bangladesh after a reported dispute with then head coach Stephen Mangongo. Williams also served as Zimbabwe captain on 21 occasions across formats. Earlier this year, he made 88 in a one-off Test against England in Nottingham, and made 77 off 45 balls in his most recent appearance for Zimbabwe in a T20I against Namibia."ZC sincerely acknowledges and appreciates his immense contribution to Zimbabwean cricket over the past two decades," read the statement from Zimbabwe Cricket. "Williams has played a pivotal role in some of the most significant moments in our recent history, leaving a lasting legacy both on and off the field."Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.