A former captain of New Zealand comes out of retirement to play in the T20 World Cup qualifiers for Samoa

In addition to him, Samoa has called up seasoned Auckland cricketer Sean Solia, 32.

Ross Taylor, the former captain of New Zealand, has declared his intention to play cricket again, this time for Samoa in the Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 qualifiers that will take place in Oman.

Caleb Jasmat led Samoa's 15-man squad, which featured 41-year-old Taylor. "It's official - I'm proud to announce that I'll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket," the seasoned cricket player shared his joy. This is a great honor to represent my heritage, culture, communities, and family, and it goes beyond simply playing the game I love again."

"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 stated.

Because of his mother's ancestry and Samoan passport, Taylor is eligible to play for Samoa, according to ESPNCricinfo. He was eligible after fulfilling the necessary three-year cooling-off period, having last played for New Zealand in April 2022.

Taylor represented New Zealand in 112 Test matches, 236 ODIs, and 102 T20Is throughout the course of a stellar 16-year international career, amassing 7683, 8607, and 1909 runs, respectively. Even though he didn't play in T20Is again until November 2020, he is still one of New Zealand's best batters of all time and the team's fifth-highest run scorer.

To strengthen their batting lineup, Samoa has also summoned up 32-year-old Sean Solia, a seasoned Auckland cricket player, in addition to Taylor. Darius Visser, who made headlines in 2024 when he struck six sixes in one over against Vanuatu's Nalin Nipiko, is also a member of the team.

Samoa defeated Vanuatu, the Cook Islands, and Fiji to guarantee their place in the qualifiers. In addition to Oman, Nepal, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, they will now face competition from Papua New Guinea and Japan in the East Asia-Pacific area.

Caleb Jasmat (captain), 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, and Ili Tugaga comprise the Samoan team.