Brendan Taylor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brendan Taylor

Taylor playing for Nottinghamshire in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Brendan Ross Murray Taylor
Born	(1986-02-06) 6 February 1986 (age 39) Harare, Zimbabwe
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
Role	Wicket-keeper batsman
International information
National side	Zimbabwe (2004–2021)
Test debut	6 May 2004 v Sri Lanka
Last Test	7 July 2021 v Bangladesh
ODI debut (cap 80)	20 April 2004 v Sri Lanka
Last ODI	13 September 2021 v Ireland
ODI shirt no.	1
T20I debut (cap 9)	28 November 2006 v Bangladesh
Last T20I	25 April 2021 v Pakistan
T20I shirt no.	1
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2002/03–2005/05	Mashonaland
2007/08–2008/09	Northerns
2009/10–2020/21	Mid West Rhinos
2011/12	Wellington
2012–2013	Chittagong Kings
2014	Sunrisers Hyderabad
2015–2017	Nottinghamshire
2019	Khulna Titans
2019	Lahore Qalandars
2020	Kandy Tuskers
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 34 202 45 136 Runs scored 2,320 6,628 934 9,571 Batting average 36.25 35.63 23.94 40.72 100s/50s 6/12 11/39 0/6 32/36 Top score 171 145* 75* 217 Balls bowled 42 396 30 384 Wickets 0 9 1 4 Bowling average – 45.11 17.00 56.25 5 wickets in innings – 0 0 0 10 wickets in match – 0 0 0 Best bowling – 3/54 2/36 2/36 Catches/stumpings 30/0 132/29 20/2 148/4
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 13 September 2021

Brendan Ross Murray Taylor (born 6 February 1986) is a former international cricket player from Zimbabwe. He was also a captain for the Zimbabwean team. Taylor played in all three main types of cricket matches. He is a right-handed batsman and can also bowl a bit of off-spin.

Many people consider Taylor one of Zimbabwe's best batsmen in recent times. He was known for his special shots, like hitting the ball over the third man area. He played for Zimbabwe in four ICC T20 World Cups and three ICC ODI World Cups. He led the Zimbabwe in One Day Internationals (ODIs) until the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Taylor made history by being the first Zimbabwean batsman to score two centuries (100 runs or more) in a row in ODIs. He achieved this against New Zealand in 2011 and again at the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. His 433 runs at the 2015 World Cup set a new record for Zimbabwe in any World Cup. He also holds the Zimbabwe record for most centuries in ODIs, with 11. Taylor retired from international cricket in September 2021.

International Cricket Journey

Starting Out in Cricket

Brendan Taylor learned cricket from a young age at Lilfordia School. He played in two Under-19 World Cups as a teenager. He started playing first-class cricket when he was just 15 years old. At 18, he joined the national team in 2004 against Sri Lanka. This happened because many experienced players were not available.

Taylor made his ODI debut on 20 April 2004. He opened the batting but was out for no runs. A month later, he played his first Test match. He also took on the role of wicket-keeper for a while. In 2007, he helped Zimbabwe win a big upset against Australia in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. He scored 60 runs without being out.

Key Victories and Performances

In 2006, Taylor played a huge part in Zimbabwe's win against Bangladesh. In a very close game, Zimbabwe needed six runs from the last ball to win. Taylor hit a six, securing the victory and helping Zimbabwe win the series. He scored 79 runs and was named man of the match.

At the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, Taylor helped Zimbabwe defeat Australia. He caught a player, made a stumping, and even ran out another player. When Zimbabwe batted, Taylor stayed in and scored 60 runs not out. He hit two big sixes in the 15th over that changed the game. His great performance earned him the man of the match award.

In 2010, Taylor scored an amazing 145 runs not out against South Africa. He carried his bat through the entire innings, meaning he was not out at the end. This was a turning point for him. He scored another century against Sri Lanka that same year.

World Cup Highlights

Taylor was a key player for Zimbabwe in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He scored 170 runs in six matches. In a game against Sri Lanka, he scored 80 runs. He shared a 116-run partnership for the first wicket, which is a record for Zimbabwe in a World Cup match.

At the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, Taylor had an outstanding performance. He scored two centuries in a row. This made him the only Zimbabwean cricketer to do so in a World Cup. His first century was 121 runs against Ireland. In his last ODI match, against India, he scored 138 runs. Many people, including famous commentator Sunil Gavaskar, called it one of the best ODI innings ever.

Taylor was the top run-scorer for Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup. He scored 433 runs in six matches. This was the first time a Zimbabwean scored over 400 runs in a single World Cup. He also made two record partnerships in the tournament.

Captaincy and Test Cricket Return

After the 2011 World Cup, Taylor became the captain of Zimbabwe. He led the team when they returned to Test cricket in August 2011 against Bangladesh. In that match, he scored 71 runs and then 105 runs not out. He became the second Zimbabwean to score a century in his first match as captain. Zimbabwe won the match, and Taylor was named man of the match.

In 2011, during a series against New Zealand, Taylor showed his best form. He scored 128 runs not out and then 107 runs not out in back-to-back ODIs. He was the first Zimbabwean to achieve this. He scored 310 runs in that series, which was a record for a three-match ODI series at the time. He also scored a century in the one-off Test match against New Zealand. For his great performances, he was named Zimbabwe's cricketer of the year and batsman of the year in 2011.

In April 2013, Taylor played very well against Bangladesh at home. He scored 171 runs in the first Test match. He also scored centuries in both innings of that Test, becoming the third Zimbabwean to do so. He led Zimbabwe to a 2–1 victory in the ODI series against Bangladesh.

Coming Back to International Cricket

On 14 September 2017, Taylor left his contract with Nottinghamshire to return to Zimbabwe. This made him available to play for his country again. In October 2017, he joined Zimbabwe's Test squad for a series against the West Indies.

In November 2018, Taylor made history again. He scored a century in each innings of a Test match against Bangladesh. This was the second time he had done this, making him the first Zimbabwean to achieve this feat twice. He was also the top run-scorer in the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier with 457 runs.

In October 2020, Taylor scored his 17th century in international cricket against Pakistan. This made him the Zimbabwean batsman with the most centuries across all three formats of the game. In July 2021, he played his 200th ODI match. In September 2021, Taylor announced his retirement from international cricket.

Domestic and Franchise Cricket

Taylor has played in Zimbabwe's main first-class competition, the Logan Cup, since 2002. He is known as one of the most reliable batsmen in domestic cricket. He has scored over 9,500 runs in first-class matches.

In 2007–08, Taylor was a star player in the Metropolitan Bank Twenty20 tournament. He scored 85 runs not out in one match, nearly getting a century. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.

In 2011–12, Taylor led his team, Mid West Rhinos, to victory in the Stanbic Bank 20 Series. He scored 75 runs in a match where his team chased down a big score.

Taylor also played for teams outside Zimbabwe. In December 2011, he played for Wellington in New Zealand's HRV Twenty20 Cup. He was the highest scorer for his team. In 2013, he played for the Chittagong Kings in Bangladesh. He even captained the team and led them to a winning streak.

In March 2015, Taylor signed a contract with Nottinghamshire in England. He played for them for three years before returning to Zimbabwe. In October 2018, he was part of the Khulna Titans team in the Bangladesh Premier League.

Post-Playing Career

In January 2022, Brendan Taylor was banned from all forms of cricket for three and a half years by the International Cricket Council (ICC).