Sean Williams etched his name in the history books after making a comeback to the T20I side during the ongoing 1st T20I between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Wednesday (September 3).
The 38-year-old made a comeback to the shortest format after a gap of more than a year.
Last year, Williams announced his retirement from T20Is after a T20I against Bangladesh on May 12. However, he was recalled to the side ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup African Qualifiers, which will take place in September as Zimbabwe aim to return to the tournament after missing out on qualification in 2024.
Sean Williams Creates History
Williams has created a massive world record on his return as he has broken Shakib Al Hasan’s world record and now has the longest T20I career by any player in history. The 38-year-old is also the first player to feature in the shortest format at the international level for more than 18 years.
Williams and Shakib had shared the record for several years, having made their debut in the same game in 2006 when Zimbabwe faced Bangladesh at the Khulna Division Stadium in a one-off T20I. Shakib was part of the last game Williams played. He went past him by playing the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the Bangladesh cricket legend retired post the mega event which means Williams has gone past him in the elite list post his comeback.
Longest T20I careers
| Player | Country | Matches Played | From | Till | Span |
| Sean Williams | Zimbabwe | 129 | 28 November 2006 | 3rd September 2025 | 18 Years, 279 days |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 82 | 28 November 2006 | 12th May 2024 | 17 Years, 166 Days |
| Mahmudullah | Bangladesh | 141 | 1 September 2007 | 12th October 2024 | 17 Years, 41 Days |
| Rakep Patel | Kenya | 88 | 4th August 2008 | 27 July 2025 | 16 Years, 357 Days |
| Richard Berrington | Scotland | 102 | 2nd August 2008 | 11 July 2005 | 16 Years, 343 Days |
| Rohit Sharma | Indai | 159 | 19 September 2007 | 29th July 2024 | 16 Years, 284 Days |
Brendon Taylor also made his debut in the same game as Williams and Shakib and will share the record with Williams on his comeback to the national team in T20Is. While the 39-year-old was named in the T20I squad after four years for the series against Sri Lanka, he missed out on making the playing XI due to an injury.
In the ODI series, Taylor and Williams became the first players in the 21st century to have ODI careers over 20 overs. Taylor made his ODI debut in 2004 and has played the format for over 21 years, making it the third-longest career in the format after Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. Meanwhile, Taylor debuted in 50-over cricket for Zimbabwe in 2005 and has the fifth-longest career span, with only Javed Miandad between him and Taylor.