Through Zimbabwe cricket’s inexorable decline in the last decade, Brendan Taylor has continued to shine like the only star on a dark night. Since his Test and ODI debuts in 2004, no Zimbabwe player has made more runs or looked more competent with the bat.
At the World Cup, Taylor has made 295 runs from five matches, with a century over Ireland and a fifty against Pakistan.
Saturday’s game with India in Auckland, though, could be his final appearance for Zimbabwe, for the 29-year-old has signed up for Nottinghamshire as a Kolpak player for three years, subject to clearance from the ECB after the World Cup.
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A Kolpak player gives up the right to play for his country, but may return to international cricket at the end of his contract.
Sad though he is to be leaving Zimbabwe, Taylor admits that the decision was driven by practical considerations. “It’s been one of the toughest decisions of my career,” he said, after a training session at Eden Park on Thursday.
“I am very passionate about playing for Zimbabwe, but it was a decision I had to make. I just want to go there and play some good competitive cricket and provide for my family. That’s the main thing behind it. I can’t give you that answer (if I will settle down there) because it’s the first time I am going there. I will take this one year as it comes. It has been a great honour and a privilege to represent Zimbabwe. I have been lucky enough to do it for nearly 11 years and I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.”
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The year 2014 has been a difficult year for Zimbabwe cricket. Players went on strike for the second time in two seasons, and Zimbabwe lost 5-0 to Bangladesh after having drawn a series with Afghanistan.
It was hard, Taylor admitted, to focus on cricket. “Yes, it was difficult. We weren’t playing a lot of cricket at that time as well. To try and start a new series and to find some momentum was always difficult. But it is great to see that Zimbabwe cricket has transformed in a positive way with new coaches and a lot more balanced set-up at the moment,” he said.
On Saturday, Taylor will come up against an Indian team coached by Duncan Fletcher, a former Zimbabwe captain. “He’s an absolute legend in our country — a very well respected man with great cricket knowledge,” he said.
“He spoke to us when India was out there a year and a half ago. The players really listened to him and grasped what he had to say. It’ll be nice to hopefully catch up with him after the game and get his thoughts.”
Zimbabwe played only 16 ODIs in 2014, nine of them against Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The side has been knocked out of the World Cup, after losing four of its five matches. Lack of experience against bigger sides is hurting Zimbabwe, Taylor felt.
The state of cricket in the country also makes it evident why a number of players — Gary Ballance the last one before Taylor — have chosen to move overseas.
“A lot of us aren’t playing a lot of cricket. We are probably doing three tours a year and it can be up to three to four months where we are not doing a hell of a lot apart from the nets and team training. It is hard to carry some momentum forward,” he said.
“But from what I understand, Zimbabwe Cricket is working hard to get some more fixtures and play some of the bigger teams more often.”