Spotlight on http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BRM-Taylor-c1200 as Zimbabwe head to the Emerald Isle - Opinion
Not many would write down Zimbabwe as favorites for the upcoming ICC World T20 in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, and even fewer would give them a chance of qualifying through the first round. Yet for their fervent fans, one man would hold the key in changing the team’s deplorable
state of affairs and making way for an upset or two. That man is Brendan Taylor
In times where Zimbabwe cricket had hit ground zero and playing for the national side was intertwined with power politics, Taylor has emerged as one of the few rays of hope that Zimbabwe is left with in modern times. The Harare-born right hander was for
the most part of his early career, on the fringes of the national team which boasted players like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AM-Blignaut-c1003 and Grant Flower. With the game witnessing a state of ‘free-fall’ in his country, Taylor emerged as a key player. The retirement of
several players from the Zimbabwe cricket team gave Brendan Taylor the senior role in guiding his side out of trouble on many occasions. In a short space of time he has established himself as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045’s most prized wicket in all formats of the game and oppositions
would acknowledge that taking Taylor lightly could have serious ramifications.
He is currently the captain of Zimbabwe, where his team ranks a lowly 14th on the ICC T20 rankings, which is even below http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756. In spite of this, Taylor’s efforts have guided Zimbabwe to some memorable
victories in the shortest format. One such effort was his team’s surprise win over http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in Cape Town. Taylor smashed 60 in that close encounter and helped his side stage one of the biggest upsets in T20 history. If that innings was considered by observers
to be a once in a blue moon affair, then an average of 34 with a best score of 75 not out in the T20 format, makes pleasant reading for a talented batsman.
Taylor was also Zimbabwe’s leading run scorer in the 2011 Cricket World Cup and has managed to take on some of the best bowling attacks around the world. His captaincy is calm, collected and upright, and despite his team’s failings, he has had the ability
to rescue his troops. These qualities were exhibited in the recently concluded T20 Tri series in his native land, where Zimbabwe went on to rout South Africa in the final of the tournament, which also featured http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747. These performances, although minor
in importance, at least give Taylor a chance to showcase his abilities on the field and with the bat. Despite being a relatively sober fielder, he also has a safe pair of hands, which acts as an inspiration for his team which has historically fielded commendably.
The slow, low, turning wickets that Zimbabwe would confront in this years’ http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World T20 would be a challenge for Taylor’s men as well as an opportunity to stage a few upsets. With a captain that was named the CBZ bank cricketer of the year in 2011, Zimbabwe
should back themselves on being competitive against the likes of Sri Lanka and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Taylor-c92915’s central role in the side, it still looks like an uphill task for an African nation that is struggling
to put itself on the map.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: