ZIM vs AFG: Sean Williams wishes to lead country's cricket future through remarkable performances

Zimbabwe batter Sean Williams showed a positive intent during the ongoing historic Boxing Day Test against Afghanistan, being held in Bulawayo, as he scored his career-best score of 154. Notably, The Chevrons have struggled in Test cricket, as their last win came back in March 2021.

With a young squad featuring three debutants, Ben Curran, Newman Nyamhuri, Trevor Gwandu, and several other players who featured in the second Test of their careers. His partnership of 163 runs with captain Craig Ervine helped Zimbabwe achieve their highest Test total in 30 years. Williams, who now has scored four centuries in his last six Tests, views his contributions as more than just personal achievements. 

"If I can lead by action, and not with my mouth, I think the kids will grow from that very fast. They'll start to do similar things and start to do the same things off the field as well as on the field. And that for me is probably the best I can do as a senior player, and also keep that discipline and professionalism in place," Williams was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Being able to get a hundred on a day like this is a very big thing: Sean Williams 

Playing in only the second Boxing Day Test hosted on Zimbabwean soil, Sean Williams displayed an aggressive approach. His century came off 115 balls, and he continued to dominate, striking his next 54 runs off just 59 deliveries. Williams described the day as historic, reflecting on childhood memories of watching Boxing Day Tests with his late father and brothers.

Interestingly, when his score stood at 124, the Zimbabwe batter was given out at first but was called back after the square-leg umpire reviewed the decision. In the same vein, Williams revealed that he was angry with himself.

Also Read: Twitter Reactions: Sean Williams' 145* allows Zimbabwe to gain upper hand in one-off Test against Afghanistan

"Being able to get a hundred on a day like this is a very big thing. We used to wake up early in the morning to watch Boxing Day Test matches and it's finally here at home," he continued.

"I was actually a little bit angry with myself because as a batter, you stand your ground. Even though you've been given out, I feel you have the right to stand your ground for them to go and check. I didn't do that. I started walking off, trusting the umpire's call, even though I knew I wasn't out. But, luckily, the square-leg umpire went across and said, 'you know, I think we should check this one'. It was a big emotional turnaround from that point, because I had worked so hard," Williams concluded.