After serving a three-and-a-half-year ban for breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code and Anti-Doping Code, Zimbabwe’s top batsman Brendan Taylor is all set to make his international cricket comeback against New Zealand. Taylor’s return marks one of the most significant comebacks in recent cricket history, comparable to high-profile cases like David Warner and Steven Smith, who missed a year following the infamous 2018 Sandpapergate ball-tampering scandal during the Cape Town Test against South Africa.
Other Cricketers Who Made Successful Returns After Bans
Mohammad Amir is one of the notable examples of a player who returned stronger after serving a ban. The Pakistani fast bowler was banned for 10 years (with 5 years suspended) due to his involvement in spot-fixing during Pakistan’s 2010 England tour. Amir also served a brief jail sentence but made a triumphant return to the Pakistan national team in 2016. Since then, he has featured in multiple World Cups before announcing his retirement in December 2024.
Shakib Al Hasan, widely regarded as Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer, faced a two-year suspension (one year suspended) for failing to report a corrupt approach by bookmakers during IPL and international matches. Despite this, Shakib never threw a match intentionally and returned to international cricket in 2021 during an ODI against the West Indies. He continues to be an important player for Bangladesh.
Shane Warne’s Comeback After Doping Ban
Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne missed out on two World Cups after testing positive for a banned diuretic, Moduretic, which is often used as a masking agent for steroids. This led to a ban that kept him out of ODIs, but Warne returned to Test cricket in 2004 against Sri Lanka. He retired in 2007 with 708 Test wickets, making him the second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history.
Brendan Taylor’s upcoming return adds to this list of cricketers who have overcome bans and returned to perform at the highest level, showing resilience and determination.
