Ross Taylor comes out of retirement, to play for Samoa in the ICC T20 World Cup regional qualifiers

Ross Taylor has been named in Samoa squad for ICC T20 World Cup regional qualifiers.

Former New Zealand cricketer Ross Taylor has come out of retirement and is set to represent Samoa in international cricket. Taylor has been named in the Samoa squad for the ICC T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier.

Taylor, who is considered a New Zealand great, announced his retirement from international cricket in 2022. The right-handed batsman played 112 tests, 236 ODIs, and 102 T20Is for New Zealand, scoring 7684, 8602 and 1909 runs respectively.

He finished his career as the second-highest run-scorer for New Zealand in international cricket with over 18,000 runs. The former Kiwi skipper also hammered 40 centuries across formats.

I’m proud to announce that I’ll be representing Samoa: Ross Taylor

Taylor shared a post on Instagram to announce he will represent Samoa and is honoured to get the opportunity.

“It’s official – I’m proud to announce that I’ll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket. This is more than just a return to the game I love – it’s the huge honour to represent my heritage, culture, villages, and family. I’m excited for the opportunity to give back to the game, join the squad, and share my experience on and off the field,” he said.

Notably, Taylor has a Samoan passport through her mother’s lineage. He became eligible to play for Samoa after a three-year cooling-off period following his last game for New Zealand in April 2022..Notably, Samoa will play two games against Oman and Papua New Guinea during the ICC T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier. Nine teams are part of the tournament, which will commence on October 8.

Samoa T20I squad: Caleb Jasmat (C), Ross Taylor, Darius Visser, Sean Solia, Daniel Burgess, Douglas Finau, Sam French, Kurtis Hynam-Nyberg, Ben Mailata, Noah Mead, Solomon Nash, Samson Sola, Fereti Sululoto, Saumani Tiai, Ili Tugaga.

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