Is New Zealand moving on from Ross Taylor in T20Is?
It is often believed that a cricketer starts his peak from the age of 27-28 whose maturity date starts to enfold by the age of 33-34. Then comes a stage from 34-36 where the kind of cricket they play just becomes a vintage substance which gets widely cherished. But beyond 36, the more a cricketer plays, the more it becomes about retaining their spot every single day in the team. Not only is it about retaining their spot it’s also about picking and choosing the right format.
And when it comes to applying this form of template in Ross Taylor’s career, there’s a relative likeness between the two. Taylor’s omission from New Zealand’s extended 18-man T20I squad to face the visiting Pakistan side might have become a notable exclusion but it didn’t pan out a stupefying ordeal for most.
Why was Taylor omitted?
As per the selector Gavin Larsen’s statement, Ross’s omission from the squad has mainly happened because of the current form of New Zealand’s two hottest sensations – Glenn Philips and Devon Convoy.
Phillips’s recent comeback and his staggering form are now widely acknowledged in international cricket especially if it’s about his maiden T20I hundred against the West Indies. That knock spoke volumes of how much he has worked on his power game technique.
Glenn Phillips 108 (51)
Devon Conway 65* (37)The duo have powered New Zealand to 238/3 – their third-highest T20I total ?#NZvWI pic.twitter.com/ZqHazA5vRe
— ICC (@ICC) November 29, 2020
In his recent stint in the CPL 2020, he was the second-highest run-getter, amassing 316 runs at an average of 35.11. Not only there’s some consistency when it comes to his consecutive healthy stints with the Jamaica Tallawahs but it’s also believed that Phillips had vigorously worked with Ramnaresh Sarwan when it comes to combating spin.
All in all, at the moment Glenn looks like a finished product who’ll now become a work-in-progress when it comes to a potential prospect of maybe replacing Taylor.
There’s another starring talent labelled as Devon Conway who has a fluent technique when it comes to circulating his off-side strokes. The 29-year-old left-hander showed reliability when New Zealand scored 64 runs in the last 5.5 overs during their third T20I against Pakistan.
World Cup on Taylor’s mind
Taylor’s omission has also come at a time when he confirmed that the 2023 ODI World Cup is definitely on his radar despite him turning 37. He has also acknowledged the fact that it will be a huge challenge to go on for another three years and he might have to trim things back a little as he is not getting any younger.
Also, when asked about his presence for the 2021 T20 World Cup, Taylor did say he wasn’t sure. Gone are the days when he was a tremendous component in the IPL while playing for RCB. Neither is he the one who plays most of the domestic leagues around the globe apart from CPL.
“I’m not getting any younger, so I’ve got to make the most of every opportunity I can.”
New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor says the 2023 ICC Men’s @cricketworldcup “is definitely on the radar” for him. pic.twitter.com/Sk7y890jMD
— ICC (@ICC) November 26, 2020
During New Zealand’s five-match T20I series against India earlier in this year, it was evident that the Kiwis did lack a finisher in their middle-order especially when it came to closing out successive Super Over games, something that was expected from Taylor.
He still looks a prominent prospect when it comes to ODIs and Tests but to reach his lofty goal of 2023 World Cup there’s a sure exit on cards from his T20I career.
