Sean Williams turns his back on Zimbabwe

Sean Williams has ended weeks of speculation by confirming he does not intend making himself available for Zimbabwe. There had been rumours that he was considering his future after he declined to join the recent tours of Canada and Kenya.

Williams, the former Under-19 captain who is now playing his cricket in Johannesburg, told local media sources that he had quit the team altogether. He is said to have been frustrated by "practice without matches", blaming the Zimbabwe board for the inactivity.

The news will be a massive blow to Zimbabwe on the eve of their home ODI series against Sri Lanka. In the last fortnight they have suffered defeats at the hands of Kenya and Uganda and tied with Canada in one-day games.

The news comes hot on the heels of the recent loss of Brendan Taylor, one of their leading players, who has chosen to play club cricket in Australia after one too many disagreements with the Zimbabwe board.

There is also uncertainty over the position of Tatenda Taibu who only joined the recent tour at the 11th hour after a major row with the board. While he did play, he was believed to be deeply frustrated at the way he had been treated.