News
Brendan Taylor walked through the players’ gate at Queens Sports Club on Thursday morning and admitted the butterflies felt “a debut-like feeling.” Three and a half years after an ICC anti-corruption ban, Zimbabwe’s former captain is back at the top of the order, partnering Brian Bennett in the second Test against New Zealand in Bulawayo.
“How good is it that three years ago, I couldn’t get out of bed and now I am here doing what I love, and that’s representing Zimbabwe?” he told the host broadcaster. The grin that followed did most of the talking: this was relief as much as excitement.
Key facts first
• Taylor, 39 next month, served a 42-month suspension for failing to report a corrupt approach in 2019.
• During the ban he underwent rehabilitation for alcohol and cocaine addiction.
• Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Givemore Makoni persuaded him to shelve coaching plans and aim for the 2027 World Cup.
• Today is his 36th Test, almost four years after his 35th.
A darker back-story
“Dealing with the sanction, dealing with my own internal chaos – there was not a specific day, there were multiple days of trauma,” Taylor recalled. “I was in the dark depths in the abyss and trying to just get through this total and incomprehensible demoralisation of life. It was incredibly difficult.”
In 2021 he suddenly quit after an ODI in Belfast, then revealed he had been blackmailed with video evidence of cocaine use by would-be fixers. He refused to fix matches, reported the approach late, and accepted the ICC penalty. As the ban began, he checked into a rehab facility in the Eastern Highlands. By his own account, the first steps were shaky.
“There’s always that shame and guilt of letting down your family. That’s a tough thing to deal with. But the way my family rallied and supported me was overwhelming. It’s almost a regret why I didn’t lean on them earlier.”
His wife, Kelly-Anne, discovered the full extent of the problem only when the news broke publicly. “I felt it was something I got myself into and I needed to fix it myself. I thought the dream had gone and I was content with it,” Taylor said.
Recovery and return
“Then came the joys and promises of recovery, something that is very dear to me,” he explained, crediting counsellors and team-mates who kept in touch while he was barred from all official cricket. “Getting my life back on track is the reason why I am able to be here. If I had not made that life changing decision, none of this would have been possible.”
During the suspension he installed a single-lane net in his Harare garden, coaching local youngsters for petrol money and sanity. The hands remained sure, the feet a little slower. Makoni, eyeing experience for a youthful side, invited him to a national camp in March. Fitness markers were met; team-mates voted unanimously for his selection.
“There have been some very important people in my corner, showing me a new way to live and I am eternally grateful for that. There are a few people in Zimbabwe Cricket that I have to thank, especially the chairman and the MD, who have been absolutely pivotal in their support to having me back.”
Expert view
Former Zimbabwe quick Mpumelelo Mbangwa, on commentary duty, believes the recall is pragmatic. “The top order has struggled against quality new-ball bowling. Taylor brings technique and calm. If he scores, wonderful; if he merely teaches the dressing-room how to build an innings, that’s value.”
Stats back up the sentiment. Since Taylor’s last Test in 2021, Zimbabwe openers average 21.9 runs each, the lowest among Full Members. Taylor’s career mark is 34.7; not stellar, but significantly higher.
Emotions and expectations
Handed his cap again by Makoni, he paused. “The moment of being handed his 36th Test cap, ‘meant the world to me. It was a moment of pure gratitude and real emotion to be welcomed back with open arms,’” he said later. The wording is slightly clumsy, the feeling crystal clear.
Coach Walter Chawaguta kept the target modest: “We’re not asking Brendan to be a saviour. Just be himself, occupy the crease, set examples.” The dressing-room, half his age in places, nodded along.
Can redemption stories distract from on-field reality? Possibly. Zimbabwe still need runs. New Zealand still boast Tim Southee and Trent Boult with a new ball. Taylor’s first delivery back was a probing outswinger; he left well. Small wins first.
Longer term, the board wants him available for a two-Test tour of Pakistan in December and, crucially, the one-day Super League fixtures that determine 2026 Champions Trophy qualification. Contracts will be short-term and heavily performance-based, a senior official confirmed off the record.
A final thought
International sport forgives but rarely forgets. Taylor knows the headlines will always mention addiction and ban alongside centuries and catches. He appears at peace with that. “There have been some very important people in my corner,” he repeated, perhaps reminding himself as much as anyone else.
For now, he is back in whites, a battered Kookaburra in hand, living the second chance many never get. The next five days will show whether the body can still cash the cheques his talent writes. The heart, clearly, is willing.
