Brendan Taylor Breaks Sachin Tendulkar's ODI Career Span Record
Brendan Taylor Sets New ODI Record
File image of Zimbabwe Wicketkeeper and batter Brendan Taylor(Photo: @Crex_live/X)
Harare, Sep 15: Zimbabwe's seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor has made history by surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's long-held record for the longest career span in One Day Internationals (ODIs). This milestone was achieved during Zimbabwe's first ODI against Australia at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
After returning to international cricket in 2025 following a retirement and a three-and-a-half-year suspension from the ICC, Taylor has now established himself as the longest-serving ODI player, with a career that has lasted 22 years and 146 days since his debut in 2004. He eclipsed the previous record set by Indian cricket legend Tendulkar, whose career spanned 22 years and 91 days from 1989 to 2012.
Throughout his career, Taylor has been a key player for the Zimbabwean team, known as the Chevrons. Before the match against Australia, he had accumulated 6704 runs in 205 innings, making him the second-highest run-scorer for Zimbabwe, just behind Andy Flower, who scored 6786 runs in 208 innings. Taylor has also captained Zimbabwe across all formats and had a standout performance in the 2015 ODI World Cup, where he scored two centuries, including one against the 2011 champions, India.
After his last match against India in 2015, Taylor stepped away from international cricket to pursue a Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire but left midway through his final season. He made his return to the international arena more than two years later.
In 2021, Taylor announced his retirement, expressing his mixed emotions about his 17-year journey filled with both triumphs and challenges. He later disclosed that he had been approached by corruptors in 2019, who attempted to blackmail him with drug-related offers, leading to his delayed report to the ICC and subsequent suspension.
Despite contemplating a coaching role, Taylor was persuaded by Zimbabwe Cricket's Managing Director, Givemore Makoni, to return to the national team with the upcoming 2027 World Cup in mind.