In a stunning claim, former Zimbabwe cricketer Brendan Taylor has revealed he accepted money allegedly to spot-fix international matches by an unnamed Indian businessman after being threatened that a video of him taking cocaine will be made public.
Taylor, in a detailed note shared on his Twitter handle, has revealed how he was called up by an businessman in October 2019 to fly down to India to discuss sponsorship details and potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe.
A wary Taylor claims he entertained the person’s request in the backdrop of not being paid by Zimbabwe Cricket for six months. However, things took a dramatic turn after he was taken for a celebratory dinner by the aforementioned businessman and his colleagues on the last day of his stay in India.
Taylor alleges he was baited to take cocaine during the dinner and a video of it was made which was later used to blackmail him.
“I was cornered. And with 6 of these individuals in my hotel room, I was scared for my own safety. I’d fallen for it. I’d willingly walked into a situation that has changed my life forever.” The 35-year-old, who played 205 ODIs, 34 Tests and 45 T20s before retiring last year, now expects the ICC to ban him for not reporting the incident back then. The game’s governing body is yet to comment on the matter.
“…the timing was such that we hadn’t been paid for 6 months by Zimbabwe cricket and it was questionable whether Zimbabwe would be able to continue playing in the international arena,” he said while trying to give his reasons for accepting the offer.
The Harare-born cricketer said he was blackmailed “post dinner and drinks”.
BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit chief Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala told PTI, “If the incident happened in India, we would like to know the details and if he has spoken to the ICC, we will seek the details from the global body.
“As of now, no one has contacted us but we would like to know more about the issue”.
Taylor said he was also given a part payment to spot fix matches.
“I was handed the USD 15,000 but was told this was now a ‘deposit’ for spot fixing and that an additional USD 20,000 would be paid once the ‘job’ was complete.
“I took the money so I could get on a plane and leave India. I felt I had no choice at the time because saying no was clearly not an option. All I knew was | had to get out of there.
“When I returned home, the stress of what had taken place severely impacted my mental and physical health. I was a mess. I was diagnosed with shingles and prescribed strong anti-psychotic medication – amitriptyline.” Taylor decided to report the incident to the ICC four months later and said he delayed it to protect his family.
“The ‘businessman’ wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give. It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC.
“I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family. I approached the ICC on my own terms and | hoped that if I explained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.
“Unfortunately, they did not, but I cannot feign ignorance in this regard. I have attended many anti-corruption seminars over the years and we know that time is of the essence when making reports.” Taylor insisted that he has never been involved in any wrongdoing on the field.
“I would like to place on record that I have never been involved in any form of match-fixing. I may be many things but I am not a cheat. My love for the beautiful game of cricket far outweighs and surpasses any threats which could be thrown my way.
