Published: Mar 14, 2015, 10:02 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 14, 2015, 10:02 AM (IST)
Brendan Taylor bid goodbye to international cricket with a brilliant 138 against India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Taylor has been Zimbabwe’s best player over the last decade, at a time when they were struggling. He walked away from international cricket with a bang to show that fairytales do happen. Nishad Pai Vaidya writes about Taylor’s swansong at Eden Park, Auckland.
There was a bit of emotion in Brendan Taylor’s eyes as he took the field for the last time. He walked out with his teammates before start of play; the cameras panned on him as he sang the Zimbabwean national anthem — the eyes said it all. At a time when Zimbabwe cricket went through rough waters, Taylor was a unifying force for the fans — a hope for a better tomorrow. The burden of carrying the cricketing expectations fell on his young shoulders once he showed promise in 2004. Zimbabwe cricket was in ruins with the exodus of some big names; in Taylor they found someone to fill into the big shoes of Andy Flower. READ: Brendan Taylor aims to end Zimbabwe career on high with win over India in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
On the eve of the game, Taylor spoke about his career and the reasons behind the decision. Having represented Zimbabwe for 11 years, his association is one of great attachment and patriotism. But, with a young family back home, he has responsibilities. Signing the Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire would not have been easy for a man who donned the national colours with great pride, being an untiring servant for over a decade. As a player, it would have been the toughest decision he ever made. As a husband and a father, it is one that made great sense. Live Updates: India vs Zimbabwe
Watching Taylor bat at Eden Park was a pleasure. Even if you were a part of the Indian camp, you didn’t want the innings to end. Being from Zimbabwe, he wasn’t quite celebrated as some of the other players in international cricket, but his feats speak for themselves. Talk about the last-ball six against Bangladesh or the unbeaten 60 to down Australia at the ICC World T20 2007, Taylor remained Zimbabwe’s best bet to cause an upset against the big guns. Every time he walked out to bat, a cricket fan with some knowledge would know that danger was lurking. Live Scorecard: India vs Zimbabwe
Yet again, he proved that he was a cut above his teammates. The shots flowed through easily, the sixes sailed into the stands and the ball raced along the park. The innings was one of great pedigree, helping Zimbabwe out of tough times yet again. In a way, his final innings summed up his illustrious career. Zimbabwe depended on him and he was ready to show all class. Taylor’s body language and stroke-play never gave anyone the impression that he was in a weaker side. His aggression and intent was as fierce as anyone at the highest level. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
The crowd at Eden Park celebrated each six, perhaps with the intent of wanting a better contest. As the innings progressed, they marvelled at his brilliance, and roared when he got his three-figures. Once he was dismissed, there was a huge ovation. Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan ran across to congratulate him and wish him the very best. One last time, Taylor turned around and bid goodbye. Who said fairytales don’t happen? Ask Brendan Taylor! ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
