Zimbabwe’s veteran wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor scripted a historic milestone in international One Day International (ODI) cricket as he took the field in the series opener against Australia in Harare on Tuesday. By stepping onto the pitch, the 40-year-old right-handed batter surpassed Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to achieve the longest career in ODI history.
Following Tuesday’s match, Taylor’s ODI career span reached 22 years and 148 days, officially breaking Tendulkar’s record of 22 years and 91 days set prior to his ODI retirement in 2012. Taylor made his international debut on April 20, 2004, against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo.
Taylor is Zimbabwe’s second-highest run-scorer in ODI history with 6,704 runs—behind only Andy Flower (6,786 runs)—and holds the national record for the most centuries with 11. Having served a three-and-a-half-year ICC ban before coming out of retirement, Taylor’s primary objective for returning to international cricket is the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Meanwhile, veteran Bangladeshi cricketer Mushfiqur Rahim holds the 10th spot on the all-time list with a career duration of 18 years and 202 days.
