Sammons hails Brandon Taylor’s return

Following a disheartening nine-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first Test, Zimbabwe’s cricket team is looking for a spark, and according to coach Justin Sammons, the return of Brendan Taylor is the answer.

Taylor, one of the country’s most accomplished cricketers, is set to make a poignant comeback in the second Test, starting Thursday at Queens Sports Club, after serving a three-and-a-half-year ban.

The first Test highlighted Zimbabwe’s significant batting struggles, as they failed to reach a total of 170 runs in either innings.

While the bowling department remained strong, the lack of runs proved to be the team’s undoing, leading to a quick defeat inside three days.

The timing of Taylor’s return, therefore, couldn’t be more crucial.

After the first Test defeat Sammons gave prominence to Taylor’s immediate and positive impact on the team, even before he had officially taken to the field.

“Yeah, it’s really positive. I’m looking forward to having him back in the side,” Sammons said.

“Already he’s added great value in the change room. Just you can see the way he sort of plays and sort of lean on every word he’s saying.

“I think just the discussions that he’s having with the batters already starting to make a difference.”

The coach noted that Taylor’s presence had elevated the team’s standards in training.

“Even in training, to be honest, you could really see everyone sort of just really looked up the game a little bit with his presence there,” he said.

“So without him even being in the side, I’ve already seen a difference.

“It might not have shown in the test necessarily in terms of the batting results.

“But you can certainly see that inquisitiveness around trying to get as much information from him as possible.

Be there.

Taylor’s comeback is not just a cricketing story; it’s a tale of redemption.

Source: The Standard Zimbabwe