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Brendan Taylor

ZIMBABWE Test captain Brendan Taylor has written to Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) requesting that his contract be terminated with effect from March 31, 2015.Taylor, or BT as he is affectionately known by Zimbabwe cricket supporters, played his first One-Day International (ODI) match for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo on the April 20, 2004. His last ODI match for Zimbabwe was the country’s final International Cricket Council Cricket (ICC) Cricket World Cup Group B match against India in New Zealand on Saturday, which was his 167th ODI.

Taylor has scored 5,258 ODI runs for Zimbabwe, at an average of 34 per match.   During Zimbabwe’s fifth ICC Cricket World Cup Group B match which was against Ireland, he became the fourth Zimbabwe batsman to reach 5,000 runs.   When Zimbabwe was knocked out at the group stage, Taylor was among the top 50 batsmen of the tournament.

Taylor made his Test debut for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Harare in May 2004 and his last Test match was against Bangladesh in Chittagong last November. He played 23 Test matches, during which he made 1,493 runs at an average of 34.

Taylor also played 26 Twenty20 International (T20I) matches for Zimbabwe. His debut was against Bangladesh in Khulna in November 2006 and his last match was an ICC World T20 tournament fixture against the United Arab Emirates in Sylhet, Bangladesh in March last year.

Taylor shot to international prominence in the 20-over format of the game when he posted an unbeaten 60 to lead Zimbabwe to a five-wicket win over Australia, in an ICC World T20 tournament match in Cape Town, South Africa, on September 12, 2007.

He was appointed Zimbabwe captain after the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and led the country successfully in its Test comeback, during which he also scored his maiden century. A month later, Taylor led Zimbabwe to another win – this time against Pakistan.

In July last year, the Zimbabwe senior team captaincy was split and Taylor became the Test captain, with Elton Chigumbura assuming the ODI and T20 role.

“We hope that your time with Zimbabwe Cricket did contribute towards your career development and that you will one day return to serve ZC in other capacities,” said ZC chief executive officer Wilfred Mukondiwa, in his letter to Taylor acknowledging his resignation.   — Zimbabwe Cricket