Harare: Former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper batter Brendan Taylor on Monday made a startling revelation, claiming that he blackmailed and forced to accept a $15,000 “deposit” for spot-fixing but never went through with the arrangement.
In a detailed note shared on Twitter, the cricketer said that he was recorded consuming cocaine at a celebratory dinner party hosted by a businessman and his colleague, who had invited him to India to discuss sponsorship details and potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe, in 2019.
The video was shown to him the next morning with an ultimatum that if he did not agree to spot fix international games, it would be made public.
The former Zimbabwe skipper, who had announced his international retirement last year, noted that he has “never been involved in any form of match-fixing”
He, however, admitted that it took him four months to report the incident to the ICC anti-corruption unit because he feared for his safety.
“I was concerned. And with 6 of these individuals in my hotel room, I was scared for my own safety. I had fallen for it. I’d willingly walked into a situation that has changed my life forever,” he wrote.
As a matter of policy, the ICC would not comment on the anti-corruption matter but sources in the know have confirmed to Cricbuzz that an investigation is underway.
Check his statement here:
To my family, friends and supporters. Here is my full statement. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/sVCckD4PMV
— Brendan Taylor (@BrendanTaylor86) January 24, 2022
