Ross Taylor, the 41-year-old former New Zealand captain, will represent Samoa in the upcoming Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier in Oman, which could help them qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Taylor was named in the 15-man squad, to be led by Caleb Jasmat, on Friday.
“It’s official – I’m proud to announce that I’ll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket,” Taylor wrote on his Instagram handle. “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.”
Taylor has a Samoan passport through his mother’s heritage, and became eligible to play for Samoa after seeing out the three-year cooling-off period after his last match for New Zealand in April 2022. He retired after playing 112 Tests, 236 ODIs and 102 T20Is for New Zealand between 2006 and 2022, amassing 7683, 8607 and 1909 runs in the three formats respectively, and finishing as one of New Zealand’s all-time greats.
He is still New Zealand’s fifth-most prolific run-scorer in T20Is despite last playing a game in the format in November 2020.
Taylor wasn’t the only major inclusion in the Samoa squad for the qualifiers: 32-year-old Sean Solia, another player who has years of experience playing in New Zealand – for Auckland, not internationally – was named in the squad too. Taylor and Solia are expected to add muscle to a batting line-up that has among its stars Darius Visser, who entered the record books by smashing six sixes in a 39-run over (inclusive of three wides) against Vanuatu’s Nalin Nipiko in August 2024.
At the qualifiers – which they reached by trumping Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Fiji – Samoa join Papua New Guinea and Japan as East Asia-Pacific representatives, with Oman, Nepal, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar and UAE as the other competitors.
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. (Cricinfo)
