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Brendan Taylor, the Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman, has announced that he will be retiring after Monday’s (September 13) ODI against Ireland in Belfast.

Brendan Taylor, who had made his debut in 2004, went on to play 34 Tests, 204 ODIs, and 45 T20Is – following which he became one of Zimbabwe’s finest cricketers.

Brendan Taylor has 11 ODI hundreds in his career - the most by a Zimbabwean batsman. — Brendan Taylor has 11 ODI hundreds in his career – the most by a Zimbabwean batsman. © Getty

Brendan Taylor To Retire After ODI Against Ireland

Ahead of his last international assignment as a player, against Ireland, Brendan Taylor has a chance to end up as Zimbabwe’s leading run-getter in the 50-over format (Currently 109 runs behind Andy Flower). With 11 centuries to his credit, the 34-year-old is already the country’s leading century-maker in the format.

He is the fourth-highest run-getter for Zimbabwe in Tests, with 2320 runs in 34 matches, and third in T20Is behind Hamilton Masakadza and Sean Williams.

“It’s with a heavy heart that I’m announcing that tomorrow is my last game for my beloved country,” Taylor stated on a Twitter post on Sunday. “17 years of extreme highs and extreme lows and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower prepares to reverse sweep ©Reuters

“It’s taught me to humble, to always remind myself how lucky I was to be in the position I was in for so long. To wear the badge with pride and leave everything on the field. My goal was to always leave the team in a better position as to when I first arrived back in 2004, I hope I have done that.”

Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor has decided to call time on his 17-year career. The 34-year-old former captain and one of the most recognizable cricketers from his country will play his final match on Monday, against Ireland.

Brendan Taylor made his debut for Zimbabwe in 2004 and has since risen to become one of the mainstays of the side. He did his best work in ODI cricket, scoring 6677 runs from 204 matches, which leaves him tantalizingly close to becoming Zimbabwe’s highest run-getter in the format. He already stands leagues ahead of any Zimbabwean with 11 ODI hundreds.

Brendan Taylor Was Zimbabwe’s Leading Run Getter In The 2015 World Cup

Brendan Taylor, who was Zimbabwe’s leading run-getter in the 2015 ICC World Cup, had signed up for Nottinghamshire as a Kolpak player and played for three seasons before returning to the national side to boost their bid in the 2019 ICC World Cup qualifiers.

Brendan Taylor will play his final game for Zimbabwe on Monday AFP via Getty Images

Brendan Taylor hit an enterprising 49 in the opening ODI of the ongoing series to help Zimbabwe go 1-0 up in the series. While rain played spoilsport in the second game, Brendon Taylor will hope he can help his side clinch the series and in turn, wind up his career on a high.

Brendan Taylor first captained the team between 2011 and 2014, before stepping in to fill the role again earlier this year. He was Zimbabwe’s leading run-scorer at the 2015 World Cup but left the national set-up following the tournament for a three-season spell as a Kolpak signing in county cricket with Nottinghamshire. He walks away with 2320 runs from 34 Test matches and 934 runs from 45 T20Is.

Eighteen years old when he first represented Zimbabwe in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2004, Brendan Taylor has established himself as one of Zimbabwe’s finest-ever players in the 17 years since, playing 283 internationals across all formats. Only Grant Flower (288) and Hamilton Masakadza (313) have played more matches for Zimbabwe.