Drug addiction has brought an end to the international career of former Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams. The all-rounder has voluntarily entered a rehabilitation programme to overcome his addiction, Zimbabwe Cricket has announced.

The board said the 39-year-old had withdrawn himself from consideration for national team selection and that it would no longer consider him for future selection.

During his two-decade career, Williams scored nearly 9,000 runs and took more than 150 wickets for Zimbabwe across all three formats.

He abruptly withdrew from the squad ahead of the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier held in Harare in September this year. During a subsequent internal investigation by Zimbabwe Cricket, he admitted that he had been struggling with drug addiction for a long time and was voluntarily seeking rehabilitation.

“After careful consideration, we have decided that Sean Williams will no longer be considered for national team selection,” Zimbabwe Cricket said.

Williams himself has not commented on the matter.

The board’s statement added, “We expect all contracted players to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline, team protocols and anti-doping regulations. Williams has a record of multiple disciplinary breaches and unexplained absences from the team, which have affected the team’s preparation and performance.”

It further stated, “Although he has taken steps towards rehabilitation, his absence from the team during a period when potential doping tests could have been conducted has raised concerns about his professionalism and ethical standards.”

According to the board, it will not be possible to renew his contract when it expires on December 31.