Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has opened up about being blackmailed into spot-fixing by an Indian businessman. He took money from match-fixers who tried to blackmail him into manipulating international games with a secret video of him using cocaine on a visit to India in 2019.
Taylor, who retired from international cricket in September last year, said the ICC was about to impose a ban on him because he had delayed reporting the incident.He was coerced into accepting the money from an Indian businessman in October 2019 and that it took him four months to report the incident to the ICC anti-corruption unit because he feared for his safety. Taylor took $15,000 from the fixers, however he said he never fixed or manipulated games.
he was invited to India to discuss a sponsorship opportunity in October 2019. At a dinner with businessmen, he was offered cocaine and “foolishly took the bait.”
” We had drinks and during the course of the evening they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in, and I foolishly took the bait. I’ve gone over it a million times since and still feel sick to my stomach reliving that night and how they played me,” Taylor wrote.
” 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. “I was cornered. And with 6 of these individuals in my hotel room, I was scared for my own safety. I’d fallen for it. I’d willingly walked into a situation that has changed my life forever.”
“I was handed the $15,000 but was told this was now a ‘deposit’ for spot-fixing and that an additional $20,000 would be paid once the ‘job’ was complete,” he said. He said he didn’t approach the ICC because he was being blackmailed by the businessman and his associates, who had made a video of him using cocaine. took the money so I could get on a plane and leave India. I felt I had no choice at the time because saying no was clearly not an option. All I knew was I had to get out of there.
Taylor decided to report the incident to the ICC four months later and said he delayed it to protect his family. “The ‘businessman’ wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give. It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC. “I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family. I approached the ICC on my own terms and I hoped that if Iexplained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.”
“Unfortunately, they did not, but I cannot feign ignorance in this regard. I have attended many anti-corruption seminars over the years and we know that time is of essence when making reports,” he wrote.
“And so, I would also like to let you know that on Tuesday the 25th of January I am checking into a rehabilitation centre to get clean and to get my life back on track. I have to tell my story now because I know people will want to hear from me. To try and understand what led to this point. But for many weeks I will be away and trying to get better,” Taylor added.