Follow UsAfter many lesser-known players moved from the subcontinent to the USA and the Arab world to fulfil their dreams in the early phase of cricket migration, now heritage is taking the front seat.
Famous players, once part of major cricket giants’ national side, are looking to return to the country of their lineage to try and give it back to the game. While Gary Balance and Ben Curran moved to Zimbabwe, Joe Burns went to Italy, New Zealand legend Ross Taylor has turned to Samoa, the country of his birth.
Having retired from international cricket in 2022 as New Zealand’s highest run-getter in all formats combined (now, Kane Williamson has overtaken him), Taylor became eligible to play for another country after a three-year cooling-off period.
Recalling how he was convinced by his friend Murphy Su’a, who also plays for Samoa, to play for his country in his berth, Taylor said his mother, who is no longer in this world, played a huge role.
“On a phone call, Murphy said, ‘Samoa qualified in August for a T20 World Cup Qualifier (in Oman, in 2025), would you be interested in playing?’ And my initial thoughts were: ‘Thanks but no, thanks,’ if I’m honest. I’d had my time,” ICC’s website quoted Taylor as saying.
"I was picking up my daughter (from school) at the time, and then, I walked. I told him I was probably a five per cent chance of playing, and by the time I’d walked from the car to pick her up in her classroom, I was at 25 per cent. I rang him and I said I’m at 25 per cent,” added the 41-year-old.
Taylor, who scored 18199 runs and also became the first player in the history of cricket to complete 100 matches across the three formats, narrated how he talked about playing for Samoa to his ailing mother.
“My mum at the time was sick. She had kidney failure, so I had the opportunity to run it past her before she passed away. She just said: ‘Up to you, son. You do it.’,” Taylor recalled.
Samoa will be taking part in the Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, starting October 8 in Oman. The top three teams from the nine-team tournament will qualify for the global event, to be played in India in 2026.