Ross Taylor comes out of retirement to play for THIS Nation following the completion of his cooling-off period.
In order to assist Samoa qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup, the 41-year-old former captain of New Zealand, Ross Taylor, will play for Samoa in the Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier in Oman. On Friday, Taylor was added to the 15-man roster, which will be captained by Caleb Jasmat.
Because of his mother’s Samoan ancestry, Taylor holds a Samoan passport. He was able to play for Samoa after completing the three-year cooling-off period following his final New Zealand match in April 2022. Between 2006 and 2022, he played 112 Test matches, 236 ODIs, and 102 T20Is for New Zealand, scoring 7683, 8607, and 1909 runs in each format, respectively, and became one of the country’s all-time greats. He then retired.
Ross Taylor’s statement
“It’s official – I’m proud to announce that I’ll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket,” Taylor wrote on his Instagram handle. “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.”
Taylor’s task ahead
Even though he hasn’t played in T20Is since November 2020, he is still New Zealand’s fifth-most prolific run scorer in the format.
Taylor wasn’t the only significant addition to Samoa’s squad for the qualifiers; Sean Solia, 32, was also included. Solia has years of experience playing in New Zealand, but not for the national team. It is anticipated that Taylor and Solia would provide strength to a hitting lineup that includes Darius Visser, who made history in August 2024 when he hit six sixes in a 39-run over (including three wides) against Vanuatu’s Nalin Nipiko.
Samoa joins Papua New Guinea and Japan as East Asia-Pacific representatives at the qualifications, which they reached by defeating Vanuatu, Cook Islands, and Fiji. Other competitors are Oman, Nepal, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.