Brendan Taylor breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI record for longest career

Harare: Zimbabwe veteran wicketkeeper batter Brendan Taylor shattered Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing ODI record for the longest career span when he took the field for Zimbabwe in their first ODI against Australia at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

Taylor, who returned to international cricket in 2025 following his retirement and three-and-a-half-year ICC suspension, has become the longest-serving ODI player with a career spanning 22 years and 146 days since his debut in 2004. He broke the record previously held by India legend Tendulkar, who had an illustrious career spanning 22 years and 91 days from 1989 to 2012.

Taylor has been one of the most prolific batters for the Chevrons. Coming into the first ODI against Australia, he had 6704 runs in 205 innings, second-highest for Zimbabwe after Andy Flower’s 6786 runs in 208 outings. He has led Zimbabwe in all three formats previously and was highly prolific in the 2015 ODI World Cup, where he scored two centuries, including one against 2011 winners India.

Taylor left international cricket in 2015 after that India game, after signing a three-year Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire but left midway through his final season. He then returned to international cricket more than two years after his departure.

Taylor then retired in 2021. “It’s with a heavy heart that I’m announcing that tomorrow is my last game for my beloved country. 17 years of extreme highs and extreme lows, and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Taylor wrote on his X account back then. He later revealed that corruptors tried to trap him in 2019 as he was offered cocaine and was blackmailed.

He delayed informing the ICC and was further banned for three and a half years. The wicketkeeper was contemplating a move into the coaching setup but was convinced by Zimbabwe Cricket’s MD Givemore Makoni to return to the international side with the 2027 World Cup in sight.

IANS