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Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE national cricket team captain Brendan Taylor is enduring a frustrating time while he waits for a call up from his Indian Premier League franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad. Taylor had initially postponed his trip to India due to his wedding which took place in Chegutu on 26 April. The Zimbabwe skipper said he had been informed by Sunrisers that he could join up with the team after the United Arab Emirates leg of the IPL when the league moved over to India.
However, Taylor is still holed up in the country after he was informed to stay put in Zimbabwe. It is reliably understood Taylor would only be called up if any player loses form or gets injured.
“I am still on standby for the IPL, I have been informed that I would be called up if there is any loss of form or injury. I am obviously disappointed to be sitting around for four weeks doing nothing. They were initially excited to have me there but things changed after my wedding,’’ said Taylor.
Sunrisers, which are coached by Australian Tom Moody, have an outside chance of qualifying for the play-off round of the IPL whose final is on 1 June in Bangalore. Even if they do so, however, it is highly unlikely that Taylor’s services would be needed by the Shikhar Dhawan-captained Hyderabad side.
Taylor has now shifted focus to the national team camp due to start on 2 June in Harare ahead of visits by South Africa and Australia.
The Zimbabwe skipper had even planned to take his family on honeymoon in India but he has been forced to shelve the wedding celebrations due to international cricket assignments.
However, Taylor, who was signed up for $50 000 at the IPL auction held in Bangalore in February, can take solace in the fact that he is still drawing his salary despite inactivity.
derick.khumalo