BRENDAN TAYLOR INTERVIEW
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:07 am
Q. Brendan, you are disappointed I'm assuming with the result, but when you came in to bat, was there a sense of freedom that no matter what happened today that you were done with your Zimbabwe career which probably led to your 138 today?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: I think being two down pretty early, there was a sense of trying to restore things, and that was my goal, and it was pretty tricky, they bowled really well, and then it just sort of fell into place a little bit. But I said to myself whether I walked out today just to go and enjoy the moment and not put myself under too much pressure, and maybe that just helped a little bit.
Q. Brendan, the innings that you played today, if there is a possibility that if an IPL franchisee offers you a deal, will you rethink that Kolpak agreement, that if you get paid as much probably, do you think you will rethink your Kolpak agreement and come back to Zimbabwe cricket because they need you more than anything else?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: Well, my contract is already in the process of being signed, so I don't think I can move backwards on that. But in terms of IPL, I haven't even thought that far ahead. That's totally out of my control. If they pick me up, they pick me up, that's great. But yeah, I just take it one day at a time, and I've got a lot to do when I get home to plan a visa to England, so I think that's already been cemented. But anything else that came my way, I'd be grateful enough to consider that for sure.
Q. Brendan, you thought that your team would have scored a bit more. What would you say about the send-off you got from the huge Indian crowd here and the Indian players?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: Yeah, thank you. It's just a testament to their cricket knowledge. I think they just appreciate good cricket and they saw two teams playing some pretty entertaining stuff today. Obviously we knew who they were supporting, but they clapped when we put on a decent show. That was always nice to see. Yeah, I was very overwhelmed the way they responded, and I'm very appreciative for that.
Q. Did you think you could have scored more runs on this wicket?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: Yeah, the wicket was a little bit two-paced in the morning along with some very good bowling, but we're heading for 310, 320, maybe 330, and again, that's been the way it's gone for us throughout the tournament, finding some momentum and then collapsing. That's been very disappointing for us. And it's probably been the difference of not a quarterfinal spot. We'll go away very disappointed. But there's a lot of positives we can take out of this tournament
Q. Do you reckon that's the best you've batted in One Day cricket?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: I think so. Yeah, but if you're not going to win, if you're going to get a hundred and not win, then it doesn't feel so sweet. But I guess a hundred in a World Cup is always pretty special. But yeah, I think in terms of their bowling attack and what they provide, they made it very difficult. So to get through the difficult periods and push on and get a hundred, that was a great feeling. It's definitely up there, but unfortunately it's still another losing cause.
Q. What's the feeling right now inside you? Is it a sense of satisfaction that you ended your Zimbabwe international career with two centuries in a row in is it a sense of sadness, a sense of looking forward to what's going to be for the next three years?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: Yeah, there's definitely a sense of sadness. There's a sense of disappointment in the way we've gone about this tournament, sad in a way that I'm leaving my teammates, I'm leaving my home country for a number of years. That's always going to be difficult to comprehend that. But I guess life goes on. You're posed with difficult challenges and choices, but it's a positive one that I've taken, and I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a good ride, and hopefully I can have some fairly decent success over there and try and make myself a better cricketer for it.
Q. How did the Nottingham deal come about, and have you thought of the possibility of representing England because you will qualify to do so after three years?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: I'm not aware of qualifying after three years. I thought it was longer than that. I got in contact with Claude Henderson, got in contact with me a number of months back, and he knew some names out there, and he put my name forward, and he just said it's nice to have an option, a plan B. So that was the thinking behind it, and Notts were very proactive in getting hold of me and making it work. Yeah, I just want to go there and focus on one year at a time and do my three years as well as I can, and if that gets extended, then so be it. But I'm not planning too far ahead. I want to go there and start well and settle my family down and move forward.
BRENDAN TAYLOR: I think being two down pretty early, there was a sense of trying to restore things, and that was my goal, and it was pretty tricky, they bowled really well, and then it just sort of fell into place a little bit. But I said to myself whether I walked out today just to go and enjoy the moment and not put myself under too much pressure, and maybe that just helped a little bit.
Q. Brendan, the innings that you played today, if there is a possibility that if an IPL franchisee offers you a deal, will you rethink that Kolpak agreement, that if you get paid as much probably, do you think you will rethink your Kolpak agreement and come back to Zimbabwe cricket because they need you more than anything else?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: Well, my contract is already in the process of being signed, so I don't think I can move backwards on that. But in terms of IPL, I haven't even thought that far ahead. That's totally out of my control. If they pick me up, they pick me up, that's great. But yeah, I just take it one day at a time, and I've got a lot to do when I get home to plan a visa to England, so I think that's already been cemented. But anything else that came my way, I'd be grateful enough to consider that for sure.
Q. Brendan, you thought that your team would have scored a bit more. What would you say about the send-off you got from the huge Indian crowd here and the Indian players?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: Yeah, thank you. It's just a testament to their cricket knowledge. I think they just appreciate good cricket and they saw two teams playing some pretty entertaining stuff today. Obviously we knew who they were supporting, but they clapped when we put on a decent show. That was always nice to see. Yeah, I was very overwhelmed the way they responded, and I'm very appreciative for that.
Q. Did you think you could have scored more runs on this wicket?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: Yeah, the wicket was a little bit two-paced in the morning along with some very good bowling, but we're heading for 310, 320, maybe 330, and again, that's been the way it's gone for us throughout the tournament, finding some momentum and then collapsing. That's been very disappointing for us. And it's probably been the difference of not a quarterfinal spot. We'll go away very disappointed. But there's a lot of positives we can take out of this tournament
Q. Do you reckon that's the best you've batted in One Day cricket?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: I think so. Yeah, but if you're not going to win, if you're going to get a hundred and not win, then it doesn't feel so sweet. But I guess a hundred in a World Cup is always pretty special. But yeah, I think in terms of their bowling attack and what they provide, they made it very difficult. So to get through the difficult periods and push on and get a hundred, that was a great feeling. It's definitely up there, but unfortunately it's still another losing cause.
Q. What's the feeling right now inside you? Is it a sense of satisfaction that you ended your Zimbabwe international career with two centuries in a row in is it a sense of sadness, a sense of looking forward to what's going to be for the next three years?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: Yeah, there's definitely a sense of sadness. There's a sense of disappointment in the way we've gone about this tournament, sad in a way that I'm leaving my teammates, I'm leaving my home country for a number of years. That's always going to be difficult to comprehend that. But I guess life goes on. You're posed with difficult challenges and choices, but it's a positive one that I've taken, and I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a good ride, and hopefully I can have some fairly decent success over there and try and make myself a better cricketer for it.
Q. How did the Nottingham deal come about, and have you thought of the possibility of representing England because you will qualify to do so after three years?
BRENDAN TAYLOR: I'm not aware of qualifying after three years. I thought it was longer than that. I got in contact with Claude Henderson, got in contact with me a number of months back, and he knew some names out there, and he put my name forward, and he just said it's nice to have an option, a plan B. So that was the thinking behind it, and Notts were very proactive in getting hold of me and making it work. Yeah, I just want to go there and focus on one year at a time and do my three years as well as I can, and if that gets extended, then so be it. But I'm not planning too far ahead. I want to go there and start well and settle my family down and move forward.