Taylor faces ICC ban over money received from spot-fixers

‘Indian businessman blackmailed me to spot ix with cocaine video.’

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has revealed that the ICC is about to “impose a multi-year ban” on his international career after he allegedly delayed reporting a corrupt approach “by an Indian businessman”. Taylor had met with the businessman in October 2019 after being asked “to discuss sponsorships and the potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe”.

However, the former Zimbabwe skipper noted that he has “never been involved in any form of match-fixing.”

Taylor delayed reporting that meeting in India because, he said, he wanted to protect his family. He describes substance abuse having taken place during that meeting in a statement on Twitter, which he says led to him being allegedly blackmailed. “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.” The men he had met, Taylor said, stormed into his hotel room the next day, and threatened to release video of the substance abuse unless he carried out spotfixing for them. He was given USD 15,000 - which he said he took to flee India - and told it was a deposit for a future payment once the fix was carried out. “It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC,” Taylor said.

The ICC has yet to comment on Taylor’s statement.