New Zealand great Ross Taylor has come out of retirement and is set to make his T20I debut for 70th-ranked Samoa. Here’s the list of cricketers to play in the format for two nations.
Taylor, having played his last international match for New Zealand in 2022, will become eligible to play for Samoa due to his mother’s heritage. As New Zealand’s all-time second-highest run-getter, the pinnacle moment for his former team came during the 2021 World Test Championship final, which New Zealand won.
Article 2B of the ICC’s Player Eligibility Regulations states that a player needs to serve a cooling-off period of three years to play for another international team. The exception is when a switch happens from an Associate Member to a Full Member, where no such stand-down period is required. In Taylor’s case, since he represented New Zealand (a Full Member) and now wants to play for Samoa (an Associate Member), he is required to serve the three-year stand-down period.
Taylor’s first match for Samoa will likely be on October 8 when they begin their T20 World Cup Asia-East Pacific Qualifier campaign against Oman. Samoa's other group game is scheduled for October 9, against Papua New Guinea.
Ross Taylor, who holds a Samoan passport through his mother’s heritage, is now eligible to represent Samoa after completing the three-year stand out since his last game for New Zealand in April 2022.#RossTaylor #Cricket pic.twitter.com/2W1QtDFOOz
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 5, 2025
Ross Taylor set to join a unique club
When Taylor takes the field next month for his new team, he will join a unique group of players to have appeared in men's T20Is for two different countries. With his entry, this group will expand to 21 members.
Ed Joyce was the first to do it, having represented England (2006-2007) and Ireland (2012-2014) in T20 World Cups.
Some other notable players to have represented two nations in T20 World Cups include Roelof van der Merwe (South Africa, Netherlands), Dirk Nannes (Netherlands, Australia), Corey Anderson (New Zealand, USA), Mark Chapman (Hong Kong, New Zealand) and David Wiese (South Africa, Namibia).
Every man to play for two countries in T20I cricket, full list
*Taylor is yet to make his debut for Samoa
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