Ross Taylor Returns to the Pitch to Represent Samoa

Ross Taylor has ended his retirement to play for Samoa in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup Asia-East Asia Pacific Qualifier. This tournament marks the final stage for Samoa in qualifying for the next year’s Men’s T20 World Cup. The former New Zealand international player announced his return on social media.

“It’s official – I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be wearing the blue and representing Samoa in cricket. This means more than just returning to the game I love; it is a tremendous honor to represent my heritage, culture, villages, and family,” Taylor expressed.

Taylor is eligible to represent Samoa through his mother’s Samoan heritage. With a three-year gap since his last match for New Zealand in April 2022, Taylor can now represent another national team.

During his time with New Zealand, the now 41-year-old Taylor played 450 international matches, amassing 18,199 runs across various formats (Tests – 7683, ODIs – 8607, T20Is – 1909). He was also part of the New Zealand squad that clinched the inaugural ICC World Test Championship in June 2021.

“Yes, I’m excited. It’s been in the works for a few months, but the team was just announced today, so I had to make it thrilling to represent my mother’s birthplace,” Taylor stated. “I always thought my future involvement would be in coaching or other roles, not as a player. But as the opportunity emerged, I’m looking forward to playing and hopefully representing Samoa to the best of my ability.”

Taylor acknowledged he needs to regain his form quickly, having not played much cricket since his retirement from New Zealand in 2022.

“I haven’t played cricket frequently like before, so it will be a bit challenging. However, I’ve participated in some tournaments, so I haven’t been entirely out of the game for years. I need to regain my pace and train over the next couple of months to assess my fitness, and hopefully, it’s still good enough at 41,” added Taylor.

Samoa will start their campaign on October 8 in Oman, facing matches against Oman and Papua New Guinea in their group fixtures.