<p>Former Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Taylor has been banned from all cricket for 3-1/2 years after admitting he received a $15,000 "deposit" for spot-fixing, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Friday.</p>.<p>Taylor said he was blackmailed and never went through with the arrangement and that he was coerced into accepting the money from an Indian businessman in October 2019.</p>.<p>Spot-fixing refers to the manipulation of part of a game to deliver a given outcome for betting purposes.</p>.<p>The 35-year-old added that it took him four months to report the incident to the ICC anti-corruption unit because he feared for his safety.</p>.<p>In addition to four breaches of the ICC anti-corruption code, Taylor was also charged with breaching the anti-doping code after testing positive for the stimulant benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, in an in-competition test conducted on Sep. 8 2021.</p>.<p>"Brendan is a former international captain who represented Zimbabwe for 17 years," ICC integrity unit general manager Alex Marshall said.</p>.<p>"Over such a long career, he participated in numerous anti-corruption and anti-doping education sessions and knew exactly what his obligations were under the ICC Anti-Corruption and Anti-Doping Codes.</p>.<p>"It is disappointing that a player of his experience chose not to fulfil those obligations, however, he has accepted all charges, which has been reflected in the sanction."</p>.<p>Taylor, who played for Zimbabwe in 34 tests, 205 one-dayers and 45 T20s, retired from international cricket in September.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>Former Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Taylor has been banned from all cricket for 3-1/2 years after admitting he received a $15,000 "deposit" for spot-fixing, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Friday.</p>.<p>Taylor said he was blackmailed and never went through with the arrangement and that he was coerced into accepting the money from an Indian businessman in October 2019.</p>.<p>Spot-fixing refers to the manipulation of part of a game to deliver a given outcome for betting purposes.</p>.<p>The 35-year-old added that it took him four months to report the incident to the ICC anti-corruption unit because he feared for his safety.</p>.<p>In addition to four breaches of the ICC anti-corruption code, Taylor was also charged with breaching the anti-doping code after testing positive for the stimulant benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, in an in-competition test conducted on Sep. 8 2021.</p>.<p>"Brendan is a former international captain who represented Zimbabwe for 17 years," ICC integrity unit general manager Alex Marshall said.</p>.<p>"Over such a long career, he participated in numerous anti-corruption and anti-doping education sessions and knew exactly what his obligations were under the ICC Anti-Corruption and Anti-Doping Codes.</p>.<p>"It is disappointing that a player of his experience chose not to fulfil those obligations, however, he has accepted all charges, which has been reflected in the sanction."</p>.<p>Taylor, who played for Zimbabwe in 34 tests, 205 one-dayers and 45 T20s, retired from international cricket in September.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>