In a major development, New Zealand cricket legend Ross Taylor has decided to come out of retirement to play for Samoa in international cricket. The New Zealand star had retired from international cricket in the year 2022. Ross Taylor holds a Samoan passport through his mother's heritage and was included in Samoa's squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier, which is set to be played in Oman from October 8. Taking to Instagram, Ross Taylor announced this development and wrote, "Coming out of retirement. It’s official – I’m proud to announce that I’ll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket.  Former New Zealand Cricketer Tom Bruce, Who Played 17 T20Is for Black Caps, Switches Allegiance to Scotland Ahead of Cricket World Cup League 2 Debut.

"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," he added in his Instagram post. The 41-year-old also shared a picture of himself posing with the Samoa National Cricket Team jersey and also of the squad of which he is a part, in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier. What are SENA Countries in Cricket? Find Out Why Are They Called So.

Ross Taylor Comes out of Retirement, to Play for Samoa

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ross Taylor (@rossltaylor3)

Ross Taylor had an illustrious career for the New Zealand National Cricket Team, where he represented the Black Caps in 112 Tests, 236 ODIs and 102 T20Is scoring 7683, 8607 and 1909 runs, respectively. Ross Taylor was also part of the New Zealand National Cricket Team that had won the maiden ICC WTC (World Test Championship) final in 2021, beating India in the final.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2025 08:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).