Srinagar, January 24: Former Zimbabwe top cricketer Brendon Taylor has come out and said thay he recieved money from Indian businessman to fix match.
Taylor who has retired from cricket in his released statement has said that he was tricked into taking money and was blackmailed.
In 2019 , Taylor travelled to India to discuss the launch of a new T20 competition in Zimbabwe with the promise of $15,000 as payment.
“We had drinks and during the course of the evening, they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in. I foolishly took the bait,” Taylor said in a statement released via Twitter on Monday.
“The following morning, the same men stormed into my hotel room and showed me a video taken of me the night before doing cocaine and told me that if I did not spot-fix at international matches for them, the video would be released to the public.”
Taylor said he was handed $15,000 as a deposit, and promised he would receive another $20,000 when the job was complete.
“I would like to place on record that I have never been involved in any form of match-fixing. I may be many things, but I am not a cheat,” he said.
“That being said, the ICC are taking the decision to impose a multi-year ban on my international cricketing career. I humbly accept this decision.”
Taylor added he would check into a rehabilitation facility on Tuesday to treat his substance abuse.
The 35-year-old Taylor, who played for Zimbabwe in 34 Tests, 205 one-dayers and 45 T20s, retired from international cricket in September.