New Delhi: In a major setback to Zimbabwe cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday banned former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor for 3 and half years from all cricket for breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
Taylor represented Zimbabwe in 205 ODIs, 34 Tests, and 45 T20s before retiring last year. He played 284 international matches between 2004 and 2021, scoring 9,938 runs with 17 centuries.
In a statement released by the international cricket body, Taylor has admitted all the charges against him in breach of the provision of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
"Brendan Taylor has been handed a three-and-a-half-year ban from all forms of cricket after he accepted four charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code and one separate charge of breaching the Anti-Doping Code," the ICC said in a statement.
"He accepted the sanctions after admitting to various breaches of the Anti-Corruption Code while a separate charge of breaching the Anti-Doping Code was levelled against him for a positive test result for the stimulant Benzoylecognine, a cocaine metabolite, in September last year," added ICC.
"The first of Taylor's anti-corruption breaches was for failing to disclose "(without unnecessary delay) the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that (a) the participant knew or should have known was given to them to procure a breach of the Code or (b) that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute'," continued the ICC statement.
"Taylor was also guilty of not disclosing '(without unnecessary delay), a receipt of gifts/hospitality with a value of US$750 or more regardless of the circumstances in which they were given'," it added.
Earlier on January 24, Taylor made a shocking disclosure that he was blackmailed after “foolishly" taking cocaine during his meeting with an Indian businessman.
"We had drinks and during the course of the evening they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in, and I foolishly took the bait. I've gone over it a million times since and still feel sick to my stomach reliving that night and how they played me," Taylor wrote on social media.
"The following morning, the same men stormed into my hotel room and showed me a video taken of me the night before doing cocaine and told me that if I did not spot fix at international matches for them, the video would be released to the 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."
Taylor is currently undergoing a rehabilitation treatment programme.