Banned Superstar Set For Sensational Return At Age 39; Targets 2027 ODI WC

The chance to play in a home ODI World Cup in 2027, however, is a significant motivator for Taylor to put in a lot of effort in order to make a comeback.

Brendan Taylor, the former captain of Zimbabwe, was given a three-and-a-half-year ban by the ICC in 2022 for failing to report a corrupt approach, which was supposed to end his playing career. However, in what is already one of the year’s biggest stories, the wicketkeeper-batter is aiming for an international comeback at the age of 39.

Although Taylor had originally considered going into coaching, Zimbabwe Cricket’s MD Givemore Makon has persuaded him to take up the bat and don the Zimbabwean colors once more. Taylor’s current ban expires in July.

“I still want to play and I believe I could make an impact as a player,” Taylor said.

“I assess my physical and mental health, and I wouldn’t bother if I didn’t think I could succeed. On this, Givemore has been a huge help. ‘Can you play and attempt to push yourself up to the 2027 World Cup?’ he said, thus ruling out coaching for the time being. I’ll be 41 then, of course, but I’m living my best life while sober.”

With a staggering 9,938 runs across all formats in international cricket, Taylor’s position as one of Zimbabwe’s all-time greats is already cemented, even with the 2022 ban.

Despite having an amazing ODI World Cup record—averaging 46.00 and scoring 690 in three World Cups—the 39-year-old is eager to build on his reputation, this time in front of the home crowd.

Zimbabwe, as co-hosts, has already earned a spot in the 2027 ODI World Cup.

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

Our group’s balance is, in my opinion, the best it has ever been, and Zimbabwe Cricket is really motivated to make this right and put everything in order. This World Cup holds immense significance for Givemore. He simply wants to do this correctly and put on a strong performance, and I want to do the same for him.”

Three years ago, during a pivotal moment for Zimbabwe cricket, the former captain’s career took a bad turn. Now, he wants to make amends.

“I regret not making a slightly larger offer to Zimbabwe cricket. I want to cooperate with them, and I’ve moved on from that after apologizing,” he stated.