Brendan Taylor, former Zimbabwe captain banned under ICC’s anti-corruption code, is expected to be recalled for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. The 39-year-old was previously not named in the squad but, according to ESPNcricinfo, may now be drafted in following internal discussions. Taylor was banned after admitting he delayed reporting a 2019 approach by an Indian businessman related to spot-fixing. He abruptly retired from international cricket in 2021 and was later suspended for three-and-a-half years by the ICC in January 2022. His return is said to be backed by Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director Givemore Makoni, who had earlier asked him to defer a coaching role and consider a player comeback. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, taylor told, “I still want to play and I believe I could make an impact as a player. I look at where I’m at physically and mentally and if I didn’t feel I could do it, I wouldn’t bother. Givemore has really supported me on this. He sort of shut down the coaching role for now and said, ‘Can you play and try to push yourself up until the 2027 World Cup?’ Granted I’ll be 41 then but with sobriety, I’m living my truest form. View this post on Instagram A post shared by cricketgully (@cricketgullyofficial) Read also: Zimbabwe Announce Squad for NZ Tests: Raza & Ben Curran Return Addiction Struggles, Fixing Allegations and the Fallout Taylor’s suspension followed a disturbing personal revelation. In 2022, he admitted to long-term substance abuse and disclosed how he was coerced into a spot-fixing setup. The alleged incident occurred during a trip to India in October 2019, where he was lured under the pretext of commercial talks. He accepted an invitation to dinner, where he was offered cocaine. The next morning, a group of men entered his hotel room, showing him a video of his drug use and threatening to release it unless he agreed to spot-fix matches. “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,” Taylor had said.“I was handed the USD 15,000 but was told this was now a ‘deposit’ for spot fixing... I took the money so I could get on a plane and leave India.” The former wicketkeeper-batter voluntarily entered rehab and has since remained sober. His potential return now hinges on selectors’ approval and final squad confirmation. Notably, Taylor's ban is supposed to uplifted on July 25, and he might be seen in the coming Tests of the series.