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Brendan Taylor

WHEN Brendan Taylor left Zimbabwe two-and-a-half years ago, it was a matter of when, not if he would return. Taylor signed a Kolpak deal at the end of the 2015 World Cup, when Zimbabwe Cricket was hurtling through yet another overhaul, player strikes were rife, and payments were frequently delayed.

Taylor wanted to play more cricket, more regularly, and be properly reimbursed for it. So he sacrificed the laid-back lifestyle he had become used to for a rigorous stint in the county trenches.  It began with him being tasked with opening the batting. In an unfamiliar position against the seaming ball, Taylor, whose lack of footwork is notorious, discovered that he would have to adjust quickly. “I worked on my backlift,” he said. “I used to tap my bat on the ground a lot and now I stand upright, nice and still. It took a bit of getting used to, but after a while it came naturally.”

“The facilities were outstanding,” he said of Trent Bridge, “and I felt the club couldn’t do enough for us. I felt very spoilt,” he said.= Then, this year, he decided it was time to come back home. “I think this can be the best period of Zimbabwe cricket since I have been playing in 2004,” Taylor said. “The group of players is exceptional. Everyone’s game has been lifted 20%. We are a totally different side to the one that lost to Afghanistan earlier in the year.” Zimbabwe’s dependence on the old guard, especially the old batting guard, has lessened. Since Taylor’s departure Zimbabwe have played five Tests and registered five hundreds from four different players, all of whom had never reached three figures before. What’s missing is a pace spearhead but Taylor hopes the return of Kyle Jarvis will change that.

“For a while now, the team has lacked a high-quality bowler. Kyle has put in the work and come on in leaps and bounds, and now I think Zimbabwe will get the best out of him,” he said. Then there is also the small matter of qualification for the 2019 World Cup. Taylor, Jarvis and Mire are all part of Zimbabwe’s plans to ensure they get to the showpiece event, and with the qualifier being held in Zimbabwe, Taylor is confident they can qualify.

“We are most consistent at home,” he said. “We’ve seen Afghanistan really coming up, Ireland is always there and thereabouts, and West Indies will also be a challenge, so it’s a huge period for all of us but the timing is perfect. With us back and some of the guys finding form, we are positive.” From what Taylor can tell, there has been a major shift in mindset, from a Zimbabwean outlook of being also-rans to one of having the ability to compete.

“I felt in the past, we didn’t get the best out of our players and they didn’t have that belief, but now that has changed,” Taylor said. “Players feel backed and I think that will show in the results.” And like him, other players want to come back, which may make all the difference. – Cricinfo.