Credit: Google
Zimbabwe veteran batter Brendan Taylor is all set to return to international cricket as he has been added to his national side’s squad for the upcoming second Test against New Zealand. In January 2022, Taylor was banned from all forms of cricket after he accepted four charges under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code and another charge of the ICC Anti-Doping Code. The doping charge was imposed on him following a test conducted in September 2021 after Zimbabwe’s game against Ireland. His result came positive for a cocaine metabolite, which is designated as a Substance of Abuse under the ICC Code.
Besides that, he also contravened the Anti-Corruption Code during his trip to India in October 2019, when he had a meeting with an unknown individual and his allies. The ICC divulged that the Zimbabwe great delayed reporting the approach. Taylor has now completed his suspension and is all set to make a comeback in the national squad. He was spotted in the training session of his team prior to the ongoing opening Test against New Zealand.
On Taylor’s return, Givemore Makoni, Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director has welcomed him. He said that the illustrious player’s diligence during the rehabilitation. "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," remarked Makoni.
Brendan Taylor’s last Test and international numbers
Taylor’s last Test outing came in July 2021 against Bangladesh in Harare. Talking about his numbers in red-ball cricket, he has amassed 2320 runs with six hundreds and 12 fifties in 68 innings of 34 matches.
Discussing his overall international numbers, he has notched up 9938 runs with 17 tons and 57 fifties in 316 innings of 284 contests. With these figures, he is the third most successful batter for Zimbabwe across all formats.
