Veteran trio gives Taylor hope

FORMER Zimbabwe captain, Brendan Taylor, serving a three-and-a-half year ban for breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code, has said that the veteran trio of Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine’s presence is fuelling his comeback hopes.

Taylor’s sanction ends in July and in an interview with ESPNCricinfo, he said watching Williams, Raza and Ervine play, he is motivated to return to the game and has belief that he still has something to offer.

Should his return to international cricket be successful, Taylor will be the fourth player in the Zimbabwe side in his late 30s, after Test and ODI captain Ervine (39), T20I captain Raza (38) and long-serving all-rounder, Williams (also 38).

Taylor said he is hoping to return and add value to the side, something, which he said he didn’t do to the best of his ability previously.

“That’s been inspiring to me. If you look statistically, they’re at the top of the game. They’re still some of the biggest contributors in the national side, and that’s really given me that hope and belief that I can do this.

“And, it’s also about me just adding real service to the group. It’s not an egotistical individual coming back trying to steal any headlines or anything like that. I’ve been humbled properly. I look forward to really just adding value, which I probably didn’t do to the best of my ability when I was there before,” said Taylor.

Ultimately, it’s the feeling of having unfinished business that is calling Taylor back to playing.

“I wish I had offered a bit more to Zimbabwe cricket. I have apologised and moved forward from that and I want to work with them,” he said.

Zimbabwe is set to co-host the 2027 World Cup with South Africa and Namibia and Taylor said this could be the time to finally get it right.

He added that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director, Givemore Makoni is working hard to ensure that they put up a good show.

“Having a home World Cup is quite special and we have had some heartache over these last few World Cups, so hopefully, we can turn that around.

“The balance in our group is, I think, the best it has ever been and there’s a huge drive from Zimbabwe Cricket to get this right and get things in place.

“For Givemore, this World Cup means the whole world to him. He just wants to get this right and put on a good show and I want to be reciprocal in that,” said Taylor. – @brandon_malvin