The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to ban former Zimbabwe skipper, Brendan Taylor for three-and-a-half years, just days after the former Zimbabwe captain released a statement in which he acknowledged that he had failed to immediately report a corrupt approach by an Indian businessman and the latter had blackmailed after taking cocaine during that meeting. Taylor had played 284 international matches for Zimbabwe in which he amassed 9,938 runs with 17 centuries.
In a press release regarding the same, ICC wrote: “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. 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 leveled against him for a positive test result for the stimulant Benzoylecognine, a cocaine metabolite, in September last year.”
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They further added, “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’.”
The ICC has released a statement on Brendan Taylor.https://t.co/IYKHAVeZHa
— ICC (@ICC) January 28, 2022
Elaborating the charges on Brendan Taylor, ICC wrote: “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’. The third charge was not disclosing ‘(without unnecessary delay), full details of the approach received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code’ including in relation to a then-upcoming series against Sri Lanka and/or Bangladesh.”
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ICC also added, “In the fourth and final charge, Taylor breached the Code by obstructing or delaying an Anti-Corruption Unit investigation, including ‘concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code’.”
Brendan Taylor, in a detailed confession on social media earlier this week, claimed that he was invited by the businessman to India to discuss “sponsorships” and the potential launch of a T20 event in Zimbabwe besides an offer of USD 15,000 in October, 2019. He did not name the businessman in question.
https://twitter.com/BrendanTaylor86/status/1485522867768991745?s=20&t=0EDqZ1pl4hqg3UdgoRkzUg
Commentating on all the charges, ICC Anti-corruption General Manager, Alex Marshal said, “Brendan is a former international captain who represented Zimbabwe for 17 years. Over such a long career, he participated in numerous anti-corruption and anti-doping education sessions and knew exactly what his obligations were. “
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He further elaborated, “It is disappointing that a player of his experience chose not to fulfil those obligations, however, he has accepted all charges, which has been reflected in the sanction. I would echo Brendan’s message to other players to report approaches as soon as they happen so any corrupt activity can be disrupted at the earliest possible opportunity. We wish Brendan well in his rehabilitation.”
