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Former New Zealand Captain Comes Out Of Retirement To Play For THIS Country
Follow UsHe last played for the Blackcaps in 2022
Former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor has come out of retirement to play for Samoa, the batting great announced on social media. He has been named in the squad for the upcoming Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier, slated to be played in Oman next month.
In the nine-team qualifiers, starting October 8, Samoa are in Group C along with hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea (PNG). The top two from each group advance to the Super Six.
"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 possesses a Samoan passport through his mother's heritage and has also completed his three-year cooling-off period before playing for a new team, according to the ICC guidelines. The 41-year-old last played for New Zealand in 2022.
Taylor is one of New Zealand's all-time greats, having played 112 Tests, 236 ODIs and 102 T20Is between 2006 and 2022. He is still the Blackcaps' leading run-getter in ODIs, with 8,607 runs, second in the list in ODIs after Kane Williamson.
Along with Taylor, Sean Solia, who has plenty of experience playing in Auckland, was also included in the Samoan squad. Solia and Taylor are expected to add firepower in the batting to go with Darius Visser, who just last year smashed six sixes in a 39-run over against Vanuatu.