BRENDAN TAYLOR, the previous Zimbabwe captain, is ready to change into the second large title from his nation after former quick bowler Heath Streak to have breached the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption Code in latest instances.
In an announcement posted on Taylor’s Twitter deal with on Monday, the lately retired 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter mentioned the ICC is about to impose a “multi-year ban” on him after he delayed reporting a corrupt method by “an Indian businessman” to the governing physique for 4 months.
The Harare-born Taylor, who had a protracted taking part in profession for Zimbabwe from 2004 to 2021, mentioned that in October 2019, he had been requested by the businessman to come back to India to debate sponsorships and the potential launch of a T20 match within the African nation. He mentioned he was advised he could be paid US$ 15,000 for the journey.
“The timing was such that we hadn’t been paid for 6 months by Zimbabwe cricket (the country’s cricket board) and it was questionable whether Zimbabwe would be able to continue playing in the international arena. So I made the journey,” Taylor said.
At a celebratory dinner with the businessman and his colleagues, Taylor mentioned he was provided cocaine, and he “foolishly took the bait”. The subsequent morning, Taylor claimed he was blackmailed by the identical group of males that if he didn’t spot-fix throughout worldwide video games for them, they might make their video of him taking cocaine public.
“I was cornered. And with 6 of these individuals in my hotel room, I was scared for my own safety. I’d fallen for it. I’d willingly walked into a situation that has changed my life forever,” he mentioned.
Taylor added that he was given the promised US$ 15,000 however was additionally advised that it was a “deposit” for spot-fixing and that a further US$ 20,000 could be paid as soon as he carried out the repair. “I took the cash so I may get on a aircraft and depart India. I felt I had no selection on the time as a result of saying no was clearly not an possibility. All I knew was I needed to get out of there,” he mentioned.
Taylor’s case is the newest illustrative instance of what the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit has been monitoring: gamers from smaller worldwide groups, the place official compensation is not often profitable and will be delayed, being more and more focused by bookies, primarily from India.
BCCI’s ACU chief, Shabbir Khandwawala, says the board is conscious of Taylor’s scenario, and that the “usual targets” are “such players from vulnerable countries who are not big enough or don’t have enough money”.
“But the great half is that gamers have began to report back to ACU, and so they inform if anybody has approached them. In India, we have now classes the place the ACU informs and educates gamers on how bookies will attempt to lure them, and make them perceive each level. As India is cricket’s hub, we’re conscious of the challenges going forward. In the previous few years, the BCCI has managed to register complaints throughout India and that has additionally helped us,” Khandwawala mentioned.
According to Taylor, in the meantime, the stress triggered by the incident impacted his well being a lot that he was recognized with shingles — an an infection that causes rash — and was prescribed amitriptyline, which is used to deal with melancholy. He mentioned he will likely be checking right into a rehabilitation heart from Tuesday to cope with his substance abuse.
Taylor mentioned he tried to elucidate to the ICC that he had delayed reporting the method as he needed to guard his household however the governing physique refused to entertain his argument. The ICC is but to subject an official touch upon the incident.
Despite belatedly admitting to the method, Taylor claimed he had by no means been concerned in match-fixing. “I may be many things but I am not a cheat. My love for the beautiful game of cricket far outweighs and surpasses any threats which could be thrown my way,” he mentioned.
Taylor performed 34 Tests, 205 ODIs and 45 T20Is for Zimbabwe till his retirement in September 2021. He was additionally a Kolpak participant in English home cricket for a few years in between, having stop taking part in for Zimbabwe after their final 2015 World Cup recreation in opposition to India. He returned from the UK to make his Zimbabwe comeback in late 2017.
In April 2021, one other Zimbabwean star, Heath Streak, was banned for eight years for passing on data and introducing gamers to an Indian businessman, who was a recognized corruptor. The streak had allegedly obtained bitcoins valued at $70,000.
Streak, as per an ICC ACU investigation, had given inside data and did not disclose probably corrupt approaches associated to the Zimbabwe group, the Indian Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League, the Pakistan Super League and the Afghanistan Premier League.
Streak had lately advised The Cricket Monthly that the Zimbabwe teaching group had agreed to forfeit their pay throughout the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, hoping that if the group certified for the 2019 World Cup, the ICC prize cash for qualification would allow funds to be made. But Zimbabwe couldn’t qualify.
Invariably, there was an Indian connection typically.
In 2018, the ICC’s then ACU chief Alex Marshall had warned that “it is mostly corrupt Indian bookies” who’ve been approaching gamers. In the identical yr, a Zimbabwe cricket official of Indian origin was banned for allegedly providing then captain Graeme Creamer cash to repair a recreation.
Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan is essentially the most high-profile participant to have been banned in latest instances — in October 2019 — for not reporting a number of approaches from an Indian businessman.
At least six gamers from the UAE have been banned following hearings for being in contact with bookies or accepting cash however not disclosing an method to the ICC. Three years in the past, two Hong Kong gamers have been banned for all times and one other obtained a five-year sanction for corruption.
Players have additionally been banned for corruption in T20 leagues, with wicketkeeper-batter Umar Akmal and opener Sharjeel Khan having been sanctioned beforehand by the Pakistan Cricket Board for violations within the PSL.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
