Will Brendan Taylor be a Chevron again in 2025?

AGE often sparks a debate in all sports, but especially in cricket. Is it merely a number, or does it signify the inevitable curtain call for players? As some cricketers stride confidently onto the field at the age of 40, others reluctantly hang up their boots. The decision to bid farewell in one’s late 30s or early 40s often hinges on physical fitness, but it’s also guided by a sense of passing the torch to the younger generation.

For some seasoned players, the fear of overshadowing the emerging talents in the team looms large. It’s a natural concern, yet the wisdom and experience of veterans can prove invaluable, especially during high-pressure moments. The question arises: should the older players make way for the youth, or should they stay and mentor the rising stars?

Brendan Taylor, the former captain of Zimbabwe Cricket, finds himself entangled in this dilemma. Taylor, hailed as one of Zimbabwe’s cricketing gems, currently serves a three-and-a-half-year ban due to his failure to report a match-fixing approach. With his ban slated to conclude in 2025, he’ll be 39 years old when he returns to the game. In a podcast interview with Pari, Taylor candidly expresses his contemplation.

“I am still currently serving a ban, which may be common knowledge to some people, maybe not, so I’m just using this time to up-skill myself in my own private facility at home. Kids come through and I find that very fulfilling.

“My playing days are almost over . . . there’s a part of me that wants to play again but at 39, is that realistic? Probably not. I also want to be conscious of that at 39 I’m taking a younger guy’s spot and maybe I could impact him better, or the group better as a coach, as a guy who has been around for a little bit,” said Taylor.

At 37, Taylor has reached a point of clarity in his life, quite a departure from his past struggles that led him to substance abuse. He’s also been a mentor to fellow Zimbabwean cricketer Peter Moor, who has since represented Ireland. Their bond is akin to that of brothers.

“The mind is strong now; the mind is clear. It wasn’t so, in the last three or four years, it wasn’t the case. PJ (Moor) is a guy who is very dear to me, he is a great mate of ours and he is just one of the good blokes.

“I have always wanted him to do better than anyone else, he is like a brother. He works extremely hard and fair play to him, representing Ireland and Zimbabwe, I have always been in full support of him, he’s just a good guy,” said Taylor.

Taylor’s cricketing legacy is substantial, with nearly 300 matches for Zimbabwe across all formats, including 205 appearances in the 50-over format and 34 Tests. He boasts 17 centuries, an impressive 11 in ODIs and six in Tests, along with 57 half-centuries. Notably, he achieved the rare feat of scoring centuries in both innings of a Test match in 2018 against Bangladesh.

Since his ODI debut in 2004, Taylor has witnessed the highs and lows of Zimbabwean cricket. Yet, one fateful match against the United Arab Emirates during the 2019 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers stands out as the darkest day of his career. The Chevrons, considered favourites, suffered a heartbreaking defeat, missing out on the World Cup for the first time.

The Chevrons also fell short of making it to the 2023 World Cup after another shock defeat at the hands of yet another associate nation, Scotland. It was another heartbreak for the likes of Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams and Craig Ervine who were there in 2018.
“These guys, they were there in 2018, I experienced it once and that was the worst day of my career, it was just dark, it was horrible to witness and the silence in the crowd, the quietness in the change room, the tears, it was hard,” said Taylor.

Taylor has proven to be a great asset for Zimbabwe Cricket and will be a crucial addition going forward after his suspension ends. He also boasts of scoring the fourth most runs in a single ground (in all formats) with 3 503 runs at Harare Sports Club.

He is behind a Bangladesh trio of Mushfiqur Rahim (4 894 runs), Shakib Al Hassan (4 764 runs) and Tamim Iqbal (4 485) all at Shere Bangla National Stadium. — @brandon_malvin