Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor makes a comeback after ICC ban

Dubai: Veteran Zimbabwe cricketer Brendan Taylor has made his return to international cricket after serving a 3 1/2-year ban, joining the team for the second and final Test against New Zealand on Thursday.

Taylor, 39, was suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in January 2022 after admitting to breaching the anti-corruption code. The charges stemmed from a 2019 incident in which Taylor accepted $15,000 from Indian businessmen who approached him to fix matches. Although he acknowledged receiving the money, he maintained that he never followed through with any match-fixing. Additionally, Taylor tested positive for Benzoylecgonine — a cocaine metabolite — resulting in a doping violation.

His return comes as Zimbabwe continues to struggle in Test cricket. The team was soundly beaten by nine wickets in the first match of the series, also held at the same venue. Zimbabwe posted scores of 149 and 165, marking its seventh loss in eight Test matches this year.

Taylor came into the side in place of opener Ben Curran as one of two changes. The other saw Trevor Gwandu replace fellow pacer Newman Nyamhuri. Despite recent failures, Zimbabwe largely stuck with its existing batting lineup.

New Zealand, already missing key players like Kane Williamson, Kyle Jamieson, and Glenn Phillips, faced further setbacks after pacers Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke were ruled out due to injuries sustained in the first Test. Allrounder Michael Bracewell also left the squad to participate in The Hundred in England.

To fill the gaps, the Black Caps handed Test debuts to fast bowlers Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher, and Zakary Foulkes. They joined Matt Henry — who starred with a nine-wicket haul in the opening Test — as part of a four-pronged pace attack.