Taylor faces bigger task

Taylor faces bigger task PDF Print E-mail

Sunday, 22 July 2012 13:29

BY MICHAEL MADYIRA

The retirement of former Zimbabwe cricket team wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu from international cricket has added more responsibilities on captain and batsman Brendan Taylor.

Primarily a batsman, Taylor will now have to adjust to full-time wicket keeping in one day internationals ODIs), while the decision for Test matches first-choice wicketkeeper is yet to be made.

Taibu once performed the triple role of skipper, wicketkeeper and batsman, but it was Andy Flower who perfectly carried the duty in both ODIs and Test cricket.

After manning the stumps in last month’s T-20 Tri-series in Harare, Taylor will again lead the country by carrying the three tasks at the T-20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September. While announcing that Taylor would be behind the stumps in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe coach Alan Butcher said he was yet to appoint the first-choice wicketkeeper in the longer version of the game.

“We have not yet decided on who will be our wicketkeeper in Test matches.

“I talked to Brendan on the possibility of him taking up that role and he said he has no problem with that,” said Butcher.

“We do not want to rush into a decision and compromise our batting in Test matches. We got other options for that role in Foster Mutizwa, (Regis) Chakabva and (Richmond) Mutumbami. We got a lot of time to look at what we have got and make an informed decision.”

If Taylor is handed the wicketkeeping role in Test matches, he would drop places on the batting order and most likely settle at number four or five.

A part-time off-break bowler, Taylor feels ready for the full-time wicketkeeping responsibility.

“Tibbly’s (Taibu) retirement is obviously a big loss to us and yes, it brings more pressure on me since I have another role now. But I think things will be fine and I will cope. I am not too worried,” Taylor said.

Taylor admits that scaling to Flowers’ heights as one of the world’s best wicketkeeper-batsman was a mammoth task.

“I am not looking too far. There is a lot I can do just as myself.

If I get to Andy’s level, then that would be great for me,” Taylor said.

Taylor assumed the captain’s role from Elton Chigumbura in June last year.