Ross Taylor, the legendary former New Zealand skipper, has made a stirring return—this time donning the blue of Samoa at age 41, aiming to steer the Pacific nation toward the 2026 T20 World Cup. Having concluded his remarkable Black Caps career in April 2022, Taylor has now seized a powerful opportunity to compete for his mother’s homeland in Oman’s Asia-East Asia-Pacific qualifier.
He posted on social media, “It’s official – I’m proud to announce that I’ll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket.” For Taylor, this comeback is much deeper than sport—it’s a heartfelt tribute to his heritage, culture, villages, and family, and a meaningful way to give back to the Polynesian community.
Taylor’s eligibility is rooted in his Samoan passport, inherited from his mother, and the fulfilment of the mandatory three-year cooling-off period since his last New Zealand match in April 2022. A prolific batsman, he amassed over 18,000 international runs across formats for New Zealand and remains the country’s second-highest run-scorer in ODIs.
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He joins Samoa’s 15-man squad—captained by Caleb Jasmat—alongside robust additions like Sean Solia, whose domestic success in Auckland promises to add heft to the batting defence. ReutersiccCricket.com Notably, Darius Visser, fresh off a jaw-dropping 39-run over that featured six sixes, remains a destructive force in the batting lineup.
Ross Taylor will be back, in new colours!
Samoa have announced a squad which includes the former New Zealand international for the T20 World Cup Asia-EAP qualifier 🇼🇸 pic.twitter.com/C8kALLqnhQ
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 5, 2025
Samoa earned its place in the Asia-East Asia-Pacific final by outperforming regional rivals such as Vanuatu, Cook Islands, and Fiji. iccWikipedia In Oman, Samoa will compete among nine teams—including Oman, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, and UAE—for three coveted slots in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
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Samoa T20I squad: Caleb Jasmat (capt), Ross Taylor, Darius Visser, Sean Solia, Daniel Burgess, Douglas Finau, Sam French, Kurtis Hynam-Nyberg, Ben Mailata, Noah Mead, Solomon Nash, Samson Sola, Fereti Sululoto, Saumani Tiai, Ili Tugaga
