The latest national recognition for BLACKCAPS and Central Stags legend ROSS TAYLOR is a special one.

Taylor said he was feeling "a bit stunned", as well as deeply honoured and humbled, to have been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours, announced this morning.

The CNZM is among New Zealand's highest honours, and was awarded not only for services to cricket, but for service to the Pasifika community which made it doubly meaningful for Taylor and his family.

"I'm proud to have also got it for my contribution to the Polynesian community," said Taylor whose mother Ann came to New Zealand from the village of Saoluafata on Samoa's Upolu.

"To play as long as I have and to give back in different ways, it's nice to have recognition, and I'm very proud for my mum as well. I'm sure she's very happy and proud."

After 16 amazing years and an incredible record for New Zealand, Taylor retired last summer from international cricket and is now revealing more of what his pot-BLACKCAPS future may look like.

He will remain available for the Central Stags in the 2022/23 summer, and is keen to give back to the sport and help inspire new generations of cricketers.

“I’m definitely going to put my name forward to play for the Stags. I love playing for Central Districts."

 

Taylor is particularly interested in getting more young Pasifika and Māori involved in cricket, as well as promoting general wellbeing through being fit and active. In the last NZC Community Cricket census, 5.76% of cricketers identified as Māori and 1.76% as Pasifika nationally, meaning there's still much work to be done.

“First and foremost, it’s just getting them exposed to the game of cricket and enjoying it,” he said.

“It’s an awesome game. I’ve been fortunate to travel the world playing a game I love, from a boy in Masterton growing up.”

While he was still playing for the BLACKCAPS, Taylor dipped his toes into the coaching world in 2017 when he travelled to UAE to assist former Central Stags coach DIPAK PATEL - who was then the head coach of PNG - as a coaching consultant as part of a joint project between the ICC's East Asia-Pacific, NZC and the NZCPA.

More recently he has been back to Samoa to work on promoting participation with the Samoa International Cricket Association, after last having visited as young boy.

Taylor took the opportunity to donate gear and equipment, with his former BLACKCAPS teammates Martin Guptill and Ish Sodhi also donating their gear to the Samoan communiy.

“It was cool seeing them all in their Aces and Central Stags kit around the islands!”

Article added: Monday 06 June 2022