Why was Brendan Taylor banned? This question might pop up in the minds of cricket fans as the Zimbabwe cricketer is reportedly in line to make his comeback to international cricket. The right-hander, who is a wicketkeeper-batter, was one of the best players and a captain for the Zimbabwe National Cricket Team when he was still an active international cricketer. And it seemed that he was there to stay and make a mark across formats for the African nation. Well, after a ban of three and a half years, Brendan Taylor is set to make his comeback to international cricket. Although he has not been named in Zimbabwe's squad for the Test series against New Zealand (starting July 30), but several reports have stated that his name would be included once his ban is over, come Saturday (July 25). So why was he banned? In this article, we shall take a look at the reason behind his ban. ZIM vs NZ 2025: Zimbabwe Announce 16-Player Squad for Upcoming Test Series Against New Zealand. The former Zimbabwe captain, now aged 39, was reportedly persuaded by Zimbabwe Cricket MD (Managing Director) Givemore Makoni to return to international cricket after his ban expires. Brendan Taylor made his international debut against Sri Lanka in an ODI in 2004 and has featured in 284 matches across formats. In 34 Tests, he has scored 2,320 runs with six centuries and 12 fifties and a highest score of 171. He has played 205 ODI matches where he has scored 6,684 runs, hitting 11 centuries and 39 fifties with a best of 145*. He has hit 934 runs in 45 matches in T20Is, with six half-centuries to his name. Zimbabwe Batsman Brendan Taylor’s Wife Mugged Outside Home in Harare. Why was Brendan Taylor Banned? Know Reason Brendan Taylor, who had retired in 2021, was banned from all forms of cricket in 2022 and the ban was for three and a half years. This was after he had accepted four charges under the Anti-Corruption Code of the ICC and one charge under the ICC Anti-Doping Code. The spot-fixing charges on him was based on his visit to India in 2019 where he was approached for spot-fixing by an Indian businessman. The Indian businessman had invited the Zimbabwe cricketer to discuss about starting a new T20 competition and also for sponsorship purposes. An ICC Case Study stated that when Brendan Taylor had talked about his businessman to his agent at first, the latter had discouraged him, saying that he had a bad feeling about the man. Brendan Taylor, Former Zimbabwe Captain, Reveals Shocking Details on Being Approached for Spot-Fixing, Writes About Mental Health Problems After Incident (Read Full Statement). Brendan Taylor however went ahead with the visit without notifying his agent about the same and the trip was sponsored by the businessman. It was on his trip that the businessman and his aides offered him cocaine and he took it. Later, they showed him the video of him consuming the drug and blackmailed him into fixing matches while giving him a payment of $15,000 (approximately INR 13 lakh). The Zimbabwe National Cricket Team was slated to play Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in February and March 2020 and these men had then told him that the remainder of the payment would be made once he fixed matches. Fact Check: No Spot-Fixing in BPL 2025! Glitch Shows Identical Scoring Pattern of Four Overs on Live Cricket Score App During Durbar Rajshahi vs Rangpur Riders T20 Match. Brendan Taylor did not commit the act of spot-fixing though and reported this incident to the ICC in late March 2020. He took a significant amount of time, almost six months to report this to the ICC and this was in contrast to the cricket governing body's regulations where such incidents have to reported in quick time. The ICC case study referred to earlier, also says that Brendan Taylor was asked not to delete his communication with the businessman but despite that, he did so. Additionally, after a test conducted in 2021, Brendan Taylor had tested positive for a stimulant Benzoylecognine, a cocaine metabolite which the ICC Anti-Doping Code says is a 'substance of abuse'.