New Zealand cricketer, comes out of retirement to play for Samoa

Ross Taylor, one of New Zealand’s all-time greats, has announced his return to international cricket – this time in the colours of Samoa.

The 41-year-old Ross Taylor confirmed the news on social media, calling it an honour to represent his mother’s homeland at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia-East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, which begins in Oman on October 8. The tournament is Samoa’s final step on the road to next year’s T20 World Cup.

“It’s official – I’m proud to announce that I’ll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket,” Taylor posted on Instagram. “This is more than just a return to the game I love – it’s a huge honour to represent my heritage, culture, villages and family.”

Eligible through his mother’s Samoan heritage, Taylor has also completed the three-year standoff period since his last outing for New Zealand in April 2022, allowing him to switch allegiance.

Taylor had retired as one of New Zealand cricket’s all-time greats, amassing 18,199 international runs in 450 appearances across formats. In T20Is, Taylor played 102 matches and scored 1909 runs, making him the fifth-most prolific run-scorer for New Zealand in the format.

He was also a part of the team that lifted the inaugural ICC World Test Championship in 2021.

While acknowledging that match fitness will be a challenge after more than two years of international retirement, Taylor revealed that he has been training in recent months to prepare for the step up.

“I obviously haven’t played as much cricket, so it’ll be a bit of a shock to the system… but I’ve played in some tournaments and trained for a couple of months, so hopefully it’s good enough at 41,” Taylor said as reported by Cricbuzz.

The Samoan cricket team will face hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea in the group stage of the nine-team qualifier, which offers three berths to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Samoa earned their place after topping the Sub-Regional Qualifier by defeating the likes of Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Fiji. New Zealand-born Sean Solia is also in the Samoa squad.

Taylor has often cited kilikiti – a traditional Pacific version of cricket – as central to his sporting upbringing.

Now, with his experience of nearly two decades in international and franchise cricket, including stints in the Indian Premier League, he will look to guide Samoa to the global stage.

“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 said.

The T20 World Cup 2026 will be held in India and Sri Lanka. The dates will be announced later.

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