After having completed 17 years of cricketing career, Veteran New Zealand batter Ross Taylor on Thursday announced that he will retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing domestic season. Taylor hence will play his final appearance in the second Test against Bangladesh, where will equal Daniel Vettori’s record of 112 tests for New Zealand.
He tweeted," I'm announcing my retirement from international cricket after the home summer, two more tests against Bangladesh, and six odi’s against Australia & the Netherlands. Thank you for 17 years of incredible support. It’s been an honor to represent my country #234. It’s been such a privilege to play with and against some greats of the game and, to have created so many memories and friendships along the way. But all good things must come to an end, and the timing feels right for me."
Taylor, who made his Test debut back in 2008 against South Africa and played the first of 233 ODIs against the West Indies in 2006, will bid adieu to the game as New Zealand’s top-scorer in Test and one-day international cricket. He has scored 7584 Test runs with 19 centuries, second only to incumbent captain Kane Williamson, and 8581 runs in ODIs, ahead of former skipper Stephen Fleming with 8007 runs. His 21 ODI centuries also are a New Zealand record.
Taylor has also played 102 Twenty20 internationals, becoming the first cricketer to play more than 100 matches for New Zealand in all three formats.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead said Taylor is unquestionably one of the country's greatest players.
“Ross has always been a hugely respected member of the side and we’re thankful for his contributions to the Black Caps over an incredible career,” Stead said. “His skills and temperament as a batsman have been world-class, and his ability to perform at such a high level for so long speaks volumes of his longevity and professionalism.”
Williamson also praised the achievements of his long-time batting partner.
"Ross has been at the core of the side for so long and can be extremely proud of having brought the game in this country to a better place,” Williamson said. “He’s a world-class player, our best with the bat over such a long period and personally it’s been a pleasure to be involved in so many partnerships with him across the formats.“We’ve shared some pretty cool moments — most recently the World Test Championship final which was special.” New Zealand beat India by eight wickets in the test championship final in June.
On a comparative basis, out of the three formats, Ross was very popular for his aggressive power batting in T20 matches. He was very strong in his leg-side hitting and manages to hit the balls even outside the off-stump towards the leg-side. He was an integral part and backbone of the international New-Zealand team and was instrumental in at No.3. Apart from his batting skills, Ross was also handy in the slips taken sharp catches.
Having stepped down from the international arena, there are possibilities for Ross to take the new role as team coach for any of the international franchises.
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