Auckland: Brendan Taylor has played 166 ODIs. Saturday's match versus India will be his 167th. And all his experience and composure were put to test on Friday, as the wicketkeeper-batsman fought back emotions on his penultimate day as a Zimbabwe cricketer.

Taylor has signed a three-year Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire, subject to ECB's approval, and that makes him ineligible to play for Zimbabwe while that contract is in effect. With Zimbabwe not progressing beyond the group stage, Saturday's match thus will be Taylor's last.

A player can sign for a county under the Kolpak deal only after he gives up his right to play for his country. The Kolpak players will be eligible to play for England after playing in the country for four years.

Asked to summarise his 11-year-old career, Taylor said that it has been an enjoyable one even as his voice choked. "It has been fairly enjoyable... It is every player's dream to represent his country and I've been lucky enough to do that. We've had our challenges as young players coming into the side. We've had some tough losses, but we've slowly evolved and managed to sneak a few great ones in for us.

"It's been thoroughly enjoyable... Sad that it'll be ending, but I'm very proud to be a Zimbabwean... I'm very proud to represent my country on a great stage," Taylor said.

Taylor admitted that it wasn't an easy decision for him to take. "It hasn't been an easy decision to take... It's something that I discussed with my family and my wife, and after two-three months of doing that, I decided to go and play in England. When you've got kids at home, you want to try and make sure they've got the best sort of upbringing that you can give them. That's why the decision. At the end of the day, we're all trying to provide for families, and to me that's very important."

Taylor, however, doesn't think that after he is gone, the standard of Zimbabwean cricket will take a hit. "I think there's enough depth there at the moment. We've certainly got some experienced players and we've also got some young and talented players coming through. I'm not too worried about leaving a hole there... Exciting players like Solomon Mire and Sean Williams will be there... There are also talks of Graham Cremer making a comeback to Zimbabwe cricket. I'm confident that there's a bright future right around the corner for Zimbabwe cricket."

Recollecting some of his fond memories, Taylor said: "There are some fond memories, but for me, it would probably be our first Test win against Bangladesh. Being in isolation for five years and coming back and winning our first Test match was an incredible feeling... Also winning a Test against Pakistan. Those are two that stand out for me personally."

Speaking about their Saturday's opponents, India, Taylor said: "We all know what a power house they are at batting, but they certainly hold their own with the ball as well. They've had proven performers with their spinners... We have seen how well they've done for India over the years, and even in conditions that are not so suited for them, they've still been very difficult to get away. Even the new ball bowlers have struck early... And they're bowling with some good pace too. That's certainly good for Indian cricket."

Dav Whatmore is Zimbabwe's coach and he knows a few things about Indian cricket, having coached the Indian U-19 side and the Kolkata Knight Riders. Did he have special inputs about the Indians? "He's had little whispers in our ears as individuals, telling us about certain players. He's got some great ideas and we'll certainly move forward as a team with him."