Ex-Captain Brendan Taylor Returns To Zimbabwe Test Squad After Serving ICC Ban, Set for New Zealand Clash | Cricket

Brendan Taylor set to for return in Test team (Credit: X)

After serving a three-and-a-half-year suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for violating their Anti-Corruption and Anti-Doping Codes, veteran batter Brendan Taylor has been added to Zimbabwe’s squad for the second Test match against New Zealand. After taking USD 15,000 from Indian businesspeople while visiting Delhi in 2019, Taylor was sanctioned in January 2022.

The funding came with pledges of an additional USD 20,000 and was presented as part of talks to start a private T20 league in Zimbabwe. Later, the ICC disclosed that Taylor failed a cocaine drug test after returning home and postponed reporting the encounter.

According to reports at the time, Taylor received “various things for his entertainment” on the trip, including a Samsung S10 phone and cash for shopping. Taylor shared his side of the tale on social media a few days prior to the ICC’s public announcement of its verdict, stating, “I may be many things, but I am not a cheat.”

Taylor is now back in Zimbabwe’s national setup after serving out his suspension and going through a rigorous rehabilitation program. In preparation for the current first Test match against New Zealand, he started training with the team. Givemore Makoni, the managing director of ZC, greeted the 39-year-old’s comeback.

“Brendan has endured an incredibly difficult chapter in his life and shown genuine remorse, coupled with a powerful determination to make things right – not just for himself but for the good of the game in Zimbabwe. He has worked tirelessly behind the scenes, remained disciplined throughout his rehabilitation and has now rightfully earned his place back in the national setup. We’re happy to see him in a good space again. His experience, skill and passion for the game will bring immense value to the team,” Makoni said.

Taylor thanked the crew for having him return after a long and challenging journey.

“I certainly did think it was all done, but here I am – and it’s an overwhelming feeling of gratitude,” he said. “I have to pinch myself a little to realise that I’m actually here. I’ve been soaking it all up and embracing every moment. It’s just been a really nice integration.

“The last year and a half has certainly been dedicated to my return. I’ve put in an immense amount of work – from fitness to the technical side to diet – and I’m feeling a lot leaner, fitter and mentally stronger. That’s only been possible through sobriety.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this journey on my own, just rebuilding the blocks, and I feel in a wonderful space.”

With 9,938 international runs across all formats—the third-highest total for Zimbabwe—and the record for the most international centuries (17) by a Zimbabwean, Taylor continues to be one of the country’s most successful cricket players. He has so far scored six hundreds and twelve half-centuries in his 34-Test career, including 92, 81, and 49 in his last three Test innings prior to the ban.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}