New Zealand cricket legend Ross Taylor has announced his return from retirement to represent Samoa in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup qualifying tournament in Oman next month. Taylor, who concluded his international career in 2022, holds the record for the most matches played for New Zealand, with an impressive tally of 112 Test matches, 236 One Day Internationals, and 102 T20 Internationals. He ranks second on New Zealand’s all-time Test run-scoring list, amassing 7,683 runs, and is also second in terms of Test centuries, with 19, trailing only Kane Williamson in both categories. Taylor’s connection to Samoa is personal; his mother, Lote, hails from the island nation. In this tournament, he will compete under his full name and chiefly title, Leaupepe Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor. At the age of 41, he has heeded the invitation of his friend and former Black Cap Tarun Nethula to join the Samoan team, which is set to face Papua New Guinea for a coveted spot in the T20 World Cup scheduled for next year in India and Sri Lanka.
Ross Taylor, a celebrated figure in New Zealand cricket, is set to return from retirement.
