Harare, Jan 29 (IANS): Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), on Saturday, said they were ‘extremely disappointed to see the damage caused by the actions of their former captain Brendan Taylor. On Friday, Taylor, after revealing on social media that he delayed reporting a corrupt approach from an Indian businessman, was banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for three and a half years after breaching four charges of the Anti-Corruption Code and, one charge of the Anti-Doping Code.

"Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) notes and respects the International Cricket Council (ICC)'s decision to ban former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor from all cricket activities for three-and-a-half years after he accepted charges of breaching the ICC anti-corruption and anti-doping codes. As an organisation, we are extremely disappointed to see the damage caused by the actions of an undoubtedly talented player widely regarded as one of the best cricketers to emerge from our country," read a release from ZC on Saturday.

ZC added that Taylor had let down the people and children who adored him. "Players are role models and as such have a responsibility to behave in an appropriate way. Unfortunately, Taylor, who owned up to receiving bribes to fix matches as well as taking cocaine, has failed the sport, his nation and all the people, including impressionable children, who trusted and idolised him."

Taylor is the second former Zimbabwe cricketer after pacer Heath Streak to be banned by the ICC in recent times for the breach of anti-corruption codes. "We are now left to count the costs of his deceit and greed: the credibility of our game has been seriously undermined, while our image as an organisation and as a country has been tainted. The modus operandi seems to suggest a well-orchestrated agenda to sabotage ZC, our game and what we stand for," stated ZC.

"he board has further insisted on creating strict legal rules to punish people indulging in match-fixing. "We believe situations such as this demonstrate the urgent need for our country to make sporting fraud a criminal offence. Indeed, the need to have a legal instrument to punish match-fixers has become more urgent. It is our view that harsh sanctions, including custodial sentences, will go a long way in helping cricket to curb one of the biggest threats to its credibility."

ZC signed off by saying that it will work with the ICC to prevent such incidents in the future. "Corruption has no place in cricket and those who engage in it deserve to be put out of the game and prosecuted to the full extent of a law specifically enacted to deal with match-fixing and related crimes."

"On our part, we will, together with the ICC, continue working hard to ensure all players and everyone else involved in cricket receive relevant information and important guidance regarding appropriate standards of conduct."