Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Brandon Moyo, Brandonmalvin9@gmail.com
HOW does one sustain a nearly two-decade-long international cricket career? Sean Williams, the sixth Zimbabwean to reach 5 000 ODI runs, provides the answer. His latest milestone, achieved against Pakistan, solidifies his status as a cricketing legend.
Nearly 20 years since the then 19-year-old Williams first walked in to bat during Zimbabwe’s tour of South Africa in Johannesburg in 2005, he has joined the elite 5 000-run club in ODIs.
His extraordinary achievement was realised last Sunday during the first one-day match between the Chevrons and Pakistan at Queens Sports Club.
Williams is now only the sixth Zimbabwean batter to amass over 5 000 ODI runs and is the only active player from this elite list.
The elite group includes greats such as Andy Flower (6 786), Brendan Taylor (6 684), Grant Flower (6 571), Hamilton Masakadza (5 658), and Alistair Campbell (5 185).
Scoring over 5 000 runs in ODIs in a career spanning 19 years marks a surreal occasion for Williams. It was a proud moment for him to stand tall among other big cricketing names in Zimbabwean history. His dream is to see many more youngsters achieve this rare feat.
“It’s a very big feeling. It’s something that came about quite quickly. I didn’t realise that it had come that soon. Obviously, joining the names of the players that have achieved that is also something quite special. It’s an honour to be in that club.
“But again, as a senior player of Zimbabwe, I’m hoping and I pray that a lot of other juniors to come can get past all of that stuff,” Williams told Saturday Chronicle.
The all-rounder, who now has 5 040 runs and 85 wickets in 158 ODI matches for the Chevrons, said that the secret to his longevity and consistency has been facing challenges head-on and doing things outside of his comfort zone.
“My secret has been to never give up and to try my best. I never make the same mistake again. And also fear, you face fear a lot of the time as a batsman.
And I think, you know how deep the problem of fear is when you truly face it. Preparation behind every single game is extremely important, knowing exactly what to do and training outside of my comfort zone.
Training specifically is exactly what I’ve done and I’ve learnt that from guys like Brendan Taylor, Raza, and all the guys that have scored 5 000 plus runs,” he said.
Boasting 158 caps to his name, there is one game that he holds dearly.
The game against Nepal in June last year during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Harare.
On Fathers’ Day, Williams notched up what was, at that time, the fastest century by a Zimbabwean, coming off 70 deliveries as he finished on 102 runs not out. Williams dedicated his performance to his late father, Colin “Porge” Williams, who sadly passed on in 2022. It was also Williams’ 150th appearance for the Chevrons in the 50-over version of the game.
“I’d probably single out the 150th ODI for me. Fathers’ Day, and I had lost my father. I ended up getting the fastest hundred at the time, it was in the first game of the whole World Cup Qualifier, and it was beaten by Raza two games later or a game later, which was fine for me. But it was particularly that game that stuck out like a sore thumb for me,” said Williams.
“The left-handed all-rounder, who is already considered a Zimbabwean great, hopes to see the current youngsters in the team tap the knowledge that he and other seniors have before they bow out.
“Williams added that they have already started creating room for the youngsters.
“I think it’s huge for the youngsters to be here with us. I think also with our coaching set up and having the senior players around is a very big thing. As you noticed, we have now started to move out of our original batting positions. We are starting to make way for those juniors to come through. So, 2027 is a long way away, so hopefully, within that time and within the domestic teams, we can also start training the same way the national team trains,” he said.
Popularly known as “Willow” to fans and teammates, at 38, Williams is nearing the end of his career with the Chevrons.
With Zimbabwe set to host the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup alongside Namibia and South Africa, Williams is uncertain whether he will still be within the Chevrons set-up at the time. For him, it depends on performances, but he hopes to leave the team in a better position.
“I don’t know whether I will be around for the 2027 World Cup. Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to tell you, but we are definitely starting to get older now. But I think performance will be the teller at the end of the day. If I can perform between now and the 2027 World Cup, that’s the best thing I could possibly do for the team and for the country.
The target for me as an individual is none, but for the team, I just want to leave this team in a better place than I found it and I want to leave this team winning. I want them to learn how to win. That’s my target,” he said.
Williams — who is one of the best reverse sweepers Zimbabwe has ever produced — has the second most centuries in the format for the Chevrons with eight, only behind Taylor who has hit triple figures on 11 occasions.
He also has 35 half-centuries and a career-best of 174 runs, which is the third highest by a Zimbabwean in the format behind Charles Coventry’s 194 and Masakadza’s 178 not out.
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