The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
BRENDAN Taylor, who played his last international cricket match for Zimbabwe when he appeared against Ireland in the third One Day International on Belfast on Monday retires as the 50th all time leading run scorer in ODIs.
The 35-year-old Taylor announced on social media on Sunday that he was retiring from international cricket to bring an end to a career that has spanned 17 years since he made his debut as an 18-year-old against Sri Lanka in April 2004.
In his final appearance, Taylor was dismissed for seven runs by Joshua Little as Zimbabwe lost by seven wickets through the Duckworth/Lewis method for the three-match series to conclude 1-1 after the second ODI produced a no result because of rain. Zimbabwe won the first ODI by 38 runs.
Taylor brings as end to his international career as Zimbabwe’s second leading run scorer in ODIs with 6684 runs from 205 matches at an average of 35.55 and best of 145 not out against South Africa in 2010. He scored 11 hundreds and 39 half centuries in ODIs while he was dismissed for a duck 15 times in 203 innings. Taylor had 599 fours and 106 sixes in ODIs.
Andy Flower, by far the best ever player to represent Zimbabwe in international cricket is still the country’s leading run scorer in ODIs with 6786 runs in 213 matches, scored at an average of 35.34 and a best of 145 against India at the 2002 Champions Trophy played in Sri Lanka.
Flower, who retired from international cricket in 2003 is the 48th leading run scorer in ODIs while Taylor is two places down, with West Indian legend, Vivian Richards sandwiched in between the two Zimbabweans.
Sachin Tendulkar of India is the all time leading run scorer in ODIs with 18426 runs in 463 matches played for his country from 1989 to 2012. Tendulkar notched up 49 hundreds and 96 half centuries.
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