Veteran India off-spinner R Ashwin, on Monday (January 24), reacted to the former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor’s surprising revelations about being blackmailed into accepting money for spot-fixing by an Indian businessman in 2019.
In explosive revelations on Monday, Taylor claimed that he was invited by the businessman to India to discuss "sponsorships" and the potential launch of a T20 event in Zimbabwe.
He was forcibly offered USD 15,000 in October 2019. However, he didn’t reveal the name of that businessman.
The former Zimbabwe skipper also admitted that he is facing a multi-year ban from the ICC for failing to report a corrupt approach by an Indian businessman in 2019. However, Taylor explained that he reported the matter to the ICC four months later to protect his family.
Following Taylor’s explosive revelations, Ashwin took to Twitter and said that the matter should be a cautionary tale for all and it’s important to simply "fold and leave the table" when the other option is "bet". He also wished good for Brendan and his family.
He tweeted: “Spread the awareness!! Most times the hand dealt to us at the poker table gives us an option to bet or fold!! It's important to fold and leave the table! All strength to Brendan and his family.”
Notably, Taylor played 205 ODIs, 34 Tests, and 45 T20s for Zimbabwe before retiring from the game last year. The 35-year-old now expects the ICC to take action against him for not reporting the incident back then.
However, the ICC is yet to comment on the matter following his explosive revelation.
