Zimbabwe's Sean Williams released from T20I squad: Here's why
What's the story
Zimbabwe have announced the release of veteran batsman Sean Williams from their squad for the Men's T20 World Cup Africa Region Final. The 39-year-old was released due to personal reasons, with Clive Madande being called up as his replacement. This development comes after Zimbabwe's successful opening match against Uganda, which they won by five wickets. Here are further details.
Match highlights
Zimbabwe beat Uganda in their opening match
In their opening match of the tournament, Zimbabwe's bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans shone with three wickets each. Brian Bennett also contributed significantly to the team's victory by scoring a quickfire 72 off just 44 balls. The team chased down Uganda's target of 153 runs with 15 balls to spare. Notably, Williams did not play in this match due to his personal commitments.
Information
Second-most T20I runs for Zimbabwe
As of now, Williams is Zimbabwe's second-highest run-scorer in T20I cricket. In 85 matches, he has scored 1,805 runs at a strike rate of 128.28. The tally includes 12 half-centuries. He is only behind Sikandar Raza (2,603) in terms of T20I runs for Zimbabwe.
Tournament details
About T20 World Cup Africa Region Final
The T20 World Cup Africa Region Final features eight teams - Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and host nation Zimbabwe. The top two teams from this tournament will reach the 2026 T20 World Cup, set to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February-March. This is a major opportunity for these African nations to make their mark on the international cricket stage.