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Brandon Moyo, Brandonmalvin9@gmail.com
THE past couple of years have been tricky for the Zimbabwe Cricket senior men’s national team, who have struggled on the international front.
The Chevrons have endured a challenging last few years, with dismal performances becoming the new order of the day. Zimbabwe have gone for over two years without winning a bilateral series against a Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Their last two international assignments on home soil against Pakistan and Afghanistan exposed a deep-lying problem within the Chevrons set-up. The bowling unit, led by the fast-bowling duo of Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava, has been good; they have done their jobs with distinction. However, for the umpteenth time, batting has been a challenge for the Chevrons. They have been embarrassingly poor with the bat, hitting new lows.
It is at the top where the biggest problem lies. The instability within the team’s top order is a cause for significant concern. Different combinations have been tried across all formats, but nothing tangible has come out. Top-order batters have struggled to get the job done.
With Zimbabwe trying out different opening combinations in their bid to build a formidable side for the 2027 World Cup, which the country will co-host with South Africa and Namibia, experience will be key in guiding the youngsters. One person who will be instrumental in providing the much-needed experience to the youngsters is Brendan Taylor.
Regarded as one of Zimbabwe’s finest ever cricketers — up there with the likes of Andy Flower — Taylor is currently serving a three-and-a-half-year ban from cricket, which is set to come to an end on July 28.
He was banned in January 2022 by the ICC’s anti-corruption unit for failing to report an approach from alleged corruptors without delay. In July, Taylor will be 39 years old, with his birthday on the sixth of February.
While concerns may arise about the veteran taking a young player’s spot in the team, a youngster who probably has been working hard over the years, it is imperative to note that the youngster(s) in question will benefit a lot from the knowledge that Taylor possesses. His wisdom and experience will prove invaluable to their careers.
Having proudly represented Zimbabwe for a good 17 years, he surely comes back with a lot of knowledge from playing at the biggest stages in global cricket. A return could positively impact Zimbabwe’s batting woes at the top. When he left, he was at the top of his game, and the Chevrons have struggled to find a suitable replacement. If Zimbabwe can get him back, he surely can be a much-needed addition to the team with a wealth of experience and talent.
The Brian Bennetts, Dion Myers, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Johnathan Campbell, Joylord Gumbie, and the likes need role models like Taylor. Already learning from the likes of Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, and Craig Ervine, these youngsters will also gain more from watching the four, including Taylor, go about their business in the middle and in the nets, whether at national or franchise level. They say you learn more from what you see than hear.
Taylor has, over his rich cricketing excellence, solidified his status as a Zimbabwean great. He played 284 matches for the Chevrons across the three formats, scoring a massive 9 938 runs.
He is Zimbabwe’s third-all-time leading run-scorer behind Andy and Grant Flower. He has 205 appearances in ODIs, boasting eleven centuries and 39 fifties. His 11 tons in the 50-over format are the most by any Zimbabwean cricketer, and he is the only one to have scored more than 10. He has amassed a massive 6 684 runs in the format, the second most for the Chevrons behind Flower with 6 786.
In the longest version, Test cricket, Taylor played 34 matches and scored 2 320 runs with six centuries and 12 half-centuries. He has the second joint-most tons in red-ball cricket, tied with Grant. Notably, he twice achieved the rare feat of scoring centuries in both innings of a Test match, in 2013 and 2018 against Bangladesh. He has played 45 T20Is, scoring 934 runs with six fifties in the format. Taylor’s 17 international tons are the most by any Zimbabwean, one ahead of Andy.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Taylor’s legacy speaks volumes for itself, and with a year of cricket likely left in him, he would be a much-needed addition to the Chevrons squad.
When his ban ends at the end of July, Zimbabwe Cricket should move in to rope him back into the national team set-up. He will be an invaluable addition to the Chevrons side, and with his experience, adding to that of Williams, Raza, and Ervine, the youngsters will benefit a lot. @brandon_malvin
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