Samoa vs Oman: Ross Taylor's 'Debut' Does Not Go as Planned; what Will He Do Now?

It was not the dream return to international for New Zealand legend Ross Taylor. The 41-year-old, who was playing his first game for Samoa against Oman in the T20 World Cup Qualifier, made just 22 runs from 28 balls. He hit just one four as Samoa lost by five wickets.

Ross Taylor’s Failure for Samoa vs Oman

Taylor was the joint top scorer along with Fereti Sululoto as Samoa made just 92/9. Oman chased down the target with three overs to spare. So Taylor failed on his ‘debut’ both at a personal and team level.

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The Kiwi legend was batting at No. 5 and came out to bat when Samoa were 20/3 in the seventh over. Sadly he could not do much and his side did not even breach the three-figure mark. His innings ended when Hassnain Shah trapped him LBW.

How Was Ross Taylor Able to Play for Samoa?

Taylor was eligible to play for Samoa as his late mother had Samoan roots. His aim is to try and take his side into the T20 World Cup in 2026. For New Zealand, he played 112 Tests, 236 ODIs and 102 T20Is. He had an important role to play in New Zealand winning the first-ever World Test Championship Final.

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"I always wanted to give back to Samoa in some capacity, but didn't know that I'd be giving back in a playing capacity, 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," he said while speaking to RNZ in September.

A Second Chance for Ross Taylor

Taylor has a chance to redeem himself when Samoa take on Papua New Guinea in their next game on October 10. Will he make use of his second chance? That remains to be seen.