Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor says he was blackmailed into spot-fixing by an Indian businessman
faces ICC ban
New Delhi, Jan 24: Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor on Monday said is facing a multi-year ban from the ICC for failing to report a corrupt approach by an Indian businessman and also claimed that he was blackmailed after "foolishly" taking cocaine during that meeting.
In a detailed confession on social media, Taylor claimed that he was invited by the businessman to India to discuss "sponsorships" and potential launch of a T20 event in Zimbabwe besides an offer of USD 15,000 in October, 2019. He did not name the businessman in question.
"We had drinks and during the course of the evening they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in, and I foolishly took the bait. I've gone over it a million times since and still feel sick to my stomach reliving that night and how they played me," Taylor wrote.
"The following morning, the same men stormed into my hotel room and showed me a video taken of me the night before doing cocaine and told me that if I did not spot fix at international matches for them, the video would be released to the public.
"I was cornered. And with 6 of these individuals in my hotel room, I was scared for my own safety. I'd fallen for it. I'd willingly walked into a situation that has changed my life forever."
The 35-year-old, who played 205 ODIs, 34 Tests and 45 T20s before retiring last year, now expects the ICC to ban him for not reporting the incident back then. The game's governing body is yet to comment on the matter.
"...the timing was such that we hadn't been paid for 6 months by Zimbabwe cricket and it was questionable whether Zimbabwe would be able to continue playing in the international arena," he said while trying to give his reasons for accepting the offer.
The Harare-born cricket said he was blackmailed "post dinner and drinks".
BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit chief Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala told PTI, "if the incident happened in India, we would like to know the details and if he has spoken to the ICC, we will seek the details from the global body.
"As of now, no one has contacted us but we would like to know more about the issue".
Taylor said he was also given a part payment to spot fix matches.
"I was handed the USD 15,000 but was told this was now a 'deposit' for spot fixing and that an additional USD 20,000 would be paid once the 'job' was complete.
"I took the money so I could get on a plane and leave India. I felt I had no choice at the time because saying no was clearly not an option. All| knew was | had to get out of there.
"When I returned home, the stress of what had taken place severely impacted my mental and physical health. I was a mess. I was diagnosed with shingles and prescribed strong anti-psychotic medication - amitriptyline."
Taylor decided to report the incident to the ICC four months later and said he delayed it to protect his family.
"The 'businessman' wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give. It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC.
"I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family. I approached the ICC on my own terms and | hoped that if | explained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.
"Unfortunately, they did not, but I cannot feign ignorance in this regard. I have attended many anti-corruption seminars over the years and we know that time is of the essence when making reports."
Taylor insisted that he has never been involved in any wrongdoing on the field.
"I would like to place on record that I have never been involved in any form of match-fixing. I may be many things but I am not a cheat. My love for the beautiful game of cricket far outweighs and surpasses any threats which could be thrown my way.
"As a result of approaching the ICC I attended multiple interviews and engagements and was as honest and transparent as I could be during their investigations. Inside and outside I was beating myself up and I still wish I had sought support and advice earlier for a multitude of reasons.
"That being said, the ICC are taking the decision to impose a multi-year ban on my international cricketing career. I humbly accept this decision and only hope that my story will be used as a means of encouragement for cricketers to report any approaches early."
Taylor will also be spending time in a rehab centre to get his life back on track. "And so, I would also like to let you know that on Tuesday the 25th of January I am checking into a rehabilitation centre to get clean and to get my life back on track.
"I have to tell my story now because I know people will want to hear from me. To try and understand what led to this point. But for many weeks I will be away and trying to get better.
"To end I need to let you know I am sorry for those I have hurt. I am sorry for those I have let down," he added.
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TikTok shuts down as US ban takes effect
Houston: TikTok’s app effectively shut down in the US, just hours before a law banning the popular video-sharing platform was set to go into effect. The app was shut down on Saturday.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” a message reads when American users open the app.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
While the Biden administration dismissed TikTok’s shutdown threat as a "stunt" and handed enforcement to the Trump administration, TikTok maintained that without clear assurances, it had no choice but to suspend its services in the US.
An internal email to employees stated that President Trump has expressed his intention to work on a solution to restore TikTok once he assumes office on January 20th. TikTok assured teams are working to resume services as soon as possible.
On Saturday evening, a warning appeared in both TikTok and CapCut apps at 9 PM Easten time:
"We regret that a US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19th, forcing us to temporarily suspend our services. We’re working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible. Thank you for your support. Stay tuned."
By 10:30 PM ET, users were blocked from accessing both apps, with TikTok displaying a message that the app "isn’t available right now," but expects resolution under President-elect Trump.
It comes after days of speculation and confusion over the platform’s future.
The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the divest-or-ban law, which gave TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance until Sunday to divest from the app.
The law directed Apple and Google to remove the service from app stores. It also required web-hosting firms, including TikTok's back-end cloud provider, Oracle, to stop supporting the app or face penalties that could reach into the billions of dollars, NPR reported.
Trump said Saturday that he would most likely give TikTok a 90-day extension.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully,” Trump said in a call with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. “It’s a very big situation.”
The law, which passed Congress with wide bipartisan majorities and was signed by President Biden in April, allows the president to provide a 90-day extension, as long as progress is being made toward a divestiture.
Following Friday’s Supreme Court decision, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew thanked the president-elect for his commitment to finding a solution to keep the app accessible in the US, Chew who met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month, is set to attend Monday’s inauguration, the Hill reported.
While the app’s message and Trump’s remarks suggest the app could be revived in the US soon, it remains unclear exactly what that would look like and how long a divestiture deal could take to hammer out.
JUST IN - TikTok officially goes offline in the US. pic.twitter.com/QpJU97grSh
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) January 19, 2025
