By News18,Rudransh Khurana
Copyright news18
New Zealand legend Ross Taylor was presented with his Samoa national cricket jersey on Tuesday, September 23. In a team ceremony, Taylor performed the traditional cultural dance of the country alongside his new teammates and officials, before posing with the new stripes for the cameras.
Taylor retired from international cricket in 2022 but came back to the fold this year when presented with the chance to lead Samoa, the country of his mother’s birth. An island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean, Samoa will take part in next year’s T20 World Cup qualifiers, with its first match to be against Oman at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground Oman Cricket (Ministry Turf 1) on October 8.
Watch a clip of the ceremony here:
Ross Taylor recieves the Samoa ?? jersey in the team presentation.
They’ll did Samoa cultural dance together ??.
Samoa will fly today for the Qualifiers ahead.#Cricket #CricketEverywhere pic.twitter.com/DnCZNj7wEK
— Clink (@ClinkWrites) September 23, 2025
Taylor played 450 matches for New Zealand across all three formats, including 112 Tests, helping the Blackcaps win the 2021 World Test Championship title. He became eligible to represent Samoa in April this year after the required cooling-off period. In a statement on social media, he had said he was ‘proud’ to get the chance.
“It’s official – I’m proud to announce that I’ll be pulling on the blue and representing Samoa in cricket,” he said on social media. “This is more than just a return to the game I love; it’s a 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.”
“I always wanted to give back in some capacity but didn’t know that I’d be giving back in a playing capacity,” Taylor later told New Zealand media. “I always thought it would be coaching and coaching young kids and donating gear where I could. But being able to get into the playing side of it, it’s something that I’m looking forward to.”
