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Brendan Taylor

Brighton Zhawi in KWEKWE
ZIMBABWE’S key batsman Brendan Taylor has backed the national team to cope well with quick and bouncy Australian conditions during the ICC Cricket World Cup next month.The team leaves for New Zealand next Wednesday to play warm-up games before engaging South Africa in their first pool B match on February 15 in Hamilton.

And Taylor, who top-scored (61) for Mash Eagles in their 43-run win over struggling Mid West Rhinos in a Pro 50 Championship match at Kwekwe Sports Club yesterday, believes they are comfortable with pacy wickets.

“I think the guys will be playing better on quicker bouncy surfaces,” he said.

“I think we grew up on that sort of surface and guys like the ball coming on to the bat, we struggle more in Asian conditions with spin, but we back ourselves against the quicker stuff.”

Taylor said it would have been great if they had played international cricket in the build-up to the World Cup but he believes they have gleaned some positives in the three domestic games they have played.

“It has been nice to get some time on the middle, it has been great, now we have got our national training. . .  we are looking forward to what lies ahead.

“I am sure we all would have liked to play some international stuff, but that’s out of our control. We have all come together and have played some hard domestic cricket with some guys getting good results,it has been a lot of positives and we have to look forward to the World Cup now.

“I have a lot of friends here and, unfortunately, I am not with them anymore, but I am enjoying my short time with the Eagles.
“(Scoring) sixty and getting out is not enough I would have loved to go on, fortunately we got a win, that’s the main thing, good all-round performance,” said Taylor.

He was part of the team that beat Australia last year in an ODI tie.

“Beating teams like Australia gives you the belief that you can beat anyone, I think that period we could have also beaten South Africa twice if we had just batted a little better, bowling was exceptional.

“We certainly can (cause upsets), we have got a good crop of players and a good side going to the World Cup. To win three out of six games gives us a good chance to qualify, but in saying that, we need to take it one game at a time, start off well, big game against South Africa first up,” said Taylor.