NZ batting great Ross Taylor comes out of retirement to don Samoa colours

New Zealand batting great Ross Taylor has announced his decision to come out of international retirement to represent Samoa, the country of his mom Lote’s birth as the minnows gear up for a 2026 T20 World Cup tournament in Oman next month.

Taylor, who featured in over 450 matches (112 Tests, 236 one-day internationals and 102 T20 internationals) for New Zealand across formats, retired from international cricket in 2022. He remains second behind Kane Williamson on New Zealand’s all-time Test scoring list with 7683 runs and second, also behind Williamson, with 19 Test centuries.

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“It’s official – I’m proud to announce that I’ll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket,” Taylor said in a social media post.

“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,” he added.

Ross, whose mother hails from Samoa, will represent the team under his full given names and chiefly title Leaupepe Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor. The 41-year-old agreed to join Samoa at the combined Asia and East-Asia Pacific qualifying tournament after being approached by his former Black Caps teammate and close friend, Tarun Nethula.

Samoa will face off against regional rival Papua New Guinea, as well as Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Qatar and the UAE with three spots at next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka up for grabs.

“It’s quite a powerful thing when players are asking you to come out of retirement and help them. It’s been a few months in the pipeline, but obviously the team just got announced today,” Taylor said.

“It’s exciting to represent the country of my mother’s birth. I always wanted to give back to the Polynesian community in some sort of way. I’m no spring chicken but I’m sure I’m still fit enough to run around the boundary,” he further stated.

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