3 Players Who Returned To International Cricket After Serving Bans

After serving a three-and-a-half-year ban for breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code and their Anti-Doping Code, one of Zimbabwe's finest batters, Brendan Taylor, is all set to return to international cricket against New Zealand. 

Taylor is one of the high-profile players in recent times to serve a ban, probably the biggest player since David Warner and Steven Smith served a year away from the game for their roles in ball-tampering during the Cape Town Test against South Africa in 2018, also known as the Sandpapergate.

We look at three other players who made a successful return to international cricket after serving their bans.

Mohammad Amir

Teenager Mohammad Amir was lured with plenty of money for bowling no-balls during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010. He was banned for 10 years (5 suspended) and also spent a short period behind bars. Amir returned to the Pakistan team in 2016 and has since represented his country in multiple World Cups before announcing his retirement in December 2024.

Shakib Al Hasan

Arguably, Bangladesh's greatest ever cricketer, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, was suspended for two years (1 suspended) for his failure to report a corrupt approach to the ICC. He was reportedly approached by bookmakers during IPL and international matches, but he refused to throw away any match on purpose. He returned to action for Bangladesh in 2021 in an ODI against the West Indies in Mirpur and continues to be available for selection for his country.

Shane Warne

Shane Warne could have had two World Cups in his kitty, but just before the 2003 edition, he tested positive for a banned substance. He was banned for consuming a diuretic known as Moduretic, which is used as a masking agent for Steroids. The leg-spinner did not play an ODI for Australia after that, but returned to Test cricket in 2004 against Sri Lanka. 

He retired in 2007 with 708 wickets to his name, which to date is the second most in the format.