Ross Taylor / Where is Samoa, a country with a population of 2.18 lakh, for which Ross Taylor took back his retirement

Ross Taylor: Former New Zealand captain and legendary batsman Ross Taylor is going to return to international cricket once again at the age of 41. This time he will represent not New Zealand but the national team of Samoa. Taylor will participate in the Asia-East Asia Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier with the Samoa men's cricket team. The tournament will be held in Oman from 8 to 17 October 2025. On the basis of excellent performance in this tournament, the Samoa team can qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

Eligibility for Samoa

There is an interesting story behind Ross Taylor's comeback. Taylor's mother is of Samoan origin, due to which he has a Samoan passport. After playing his last international match for New Zealand in April 2022, Taylor has completed the three-year cooling-off period under ICC rules. According to this rule, a player can play for another national team after playing for one country only if he has not been part of any other international team for a specified period of time. In this way, Taylor is now eligible to play for Samoa.

Samoa: A small island nation

Samoa is a small island country located in the South Pacific Ocean, which is part of the Polynesia region. This country is located 64 km west of American Samoa, 889 km northeast of Tonga and 483 km east of Wallis and Futuna. The population of Samoa is only 2 lakh 18 thousand as per 2024 data. It is a parliamentary democratic country, which participated in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1984.

In terms of cricket, Samoa achieved T20I status after the ICC's decision in April 2018, under which all 104 ICC member countries were given the status of playing T20I cricket. After this, Samoa entered T20I cricket from 1 January 2019.

Performance of Samoa men's team

Samoa's men's cricket team has played 25 T20I matches so far, winning 6 and losing 19. Their best record has been against Vanuatu, but they have failed to defeat teams like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore so far. The inclusion of an experienced player like Ross Taylor will definitely increase the strength of the team.

Record of Samoa women's team

Interestingly, Samoa's women's cricket team has played far more T20I matches than the men's team. So far they have played 42 matches, winning 20 and losing 20, while 2 matches were inconclusive. Their record against Fiji has been excellent, where they have won 7 out of 10 matches.

In addition, in 2025, Samoa's Under-19 women's team participated in the T20 World Cup and played against strong teams like South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan. Even though they did not win, the young players gained experience at the international level, which is important for the future.

Ross Taylor's role

Ross Taylor's experience can prove to be a game-changer for Samoa's men's team. Taylor, who has played 112 Tests, 236 ODIs and 102 T20Is for New Zealand, has scored over 19,000 runs in his career and under his captaincy, New Zealand has achieved many memorable victories. His technical prowess, ability to perform under pressure and leadership skills will be extremely valuable for an emerging cricket nation like Samoa.

Samoa Squad

Samoa's squad for the Asia-East Asia Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifiers is as follows:

Captain: Caleb Jasmat

Players: Ross Taylor, Darius Visser, Shaun Solia, Daniel Burgess, Douglas Finau, Sam French, Curtis Hynum-Niberg, Ben Mailata, Noah Mead, Solomon Nash, Samson Sola, Fereti Sululoto, Saumani Tiai, Ili Tugaga.

Will Samoa qualify?

The top three teams in this tournament will qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. This is a golden opportunity for Samoa, and the presence of a player like Ross Taylor has made their chances even stronger. Taylor can not only contribute with the bat but can also guide the young players with his strategic understanding and experience.