After two decades, Sean Williams keeps on running for Zimbabwe
At an age when most test cricketers have retired and only an elite few can maintain their excellence, 38-year-old Sean Williams is bucking the trend and soaring to new heights on the cusp of his 20th anniversary representing Zimbabwe.
Upon the retirement of 21-year stalwart Jimmy Anderson last year, Bulawayo-born Williams became world cricket's longest-tenured player and his game has only improved with time.
As his side's premier contemporary batsman, over 17 tests and 162 one-day internationals Williams has averaged 45 and 38 respectively. Since 2020, those numbers skyrocket to 81 and 51 - and while captaining, 96 and 73.
"I've found that my scoring shot decisions have become way more selective and the percentages have become a lot higher towards me than towards the bowler," the left-hander told Reuters ahead of his Feb. 25 milestone. "I just became a little bit calmer as a batsman."
Promoted to the national team in 2005 after a politically-driven player exodus, facing a merciless South Africa was an eye-opening initiation for the then 18-year-old.
"We were obviously young, we had no idea. We were just trying to survive 50 overs," he reflected, noting that coaches of that era tried hard but could not overhaul a negative culture.
"There was fear instilled elsewhere with the board. It just wasn't good and it wasn't nice cricket. There was no plan."
A two-day Cape Town massacre followed, and despite missing test selection Williams still finds humour in a 12th-man memory of teammate Brendan Taylor accidentally knocking himself out after making a low score.
"He had his helmet on, but he smashed his head with the bat and then I got a fright," Williams said. "I saw him go dizzy, hit the wall and then slide down the wall and