New Delhi: New Zealand middle order batsman Ross Taylor has revealed that he is not sure of representing his team at the T20 World Cup 2021 in India.
Australia who was to host the T20 World Cup this year, has now been further postponed to 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic. India will host 2021 edition while Australia has bagged the right to hold 2022 edition.
"Oh! Not sure. As you get older, things slow down a little bit, but your training and experience and your mind become even more important," Taylor told ESPNcricinfo.Earlier, this February Taylor became the first New Zealand men's player to feature in 100 T20Is.
Taylor floated in the middle order in New Zealand's most recent T20I series at home against India, and struck 166 runs in five innings at an average of 41.50 and strike rate of 131.74.
Taylor will play for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), in their opening match against Trinbago Knight Riders starting from August 18 in Trinidad and Tobago.
"Yeah, it has been a strange time all around," he said. I haven't gone this long without playing any cricket since I was in high school. So, yeah obviously isolation and all those other things are a little bit strange, but it is what it is," he said.
"You know it's going to be strange for everybody at the CPL. Nobody has played international cricket for a while, so everyone is going to be nervous, I'm sure. So, the training and early games are very important. The atmosphere in Twenty20 cricket is a lot of what you play and we get the best crowds in that format. So, to play in front of nobody but knowing that people at home will be watching and cheering us on, it's going to be a bit strange, but at the same time something that we're going to get used to," he opined.
Taylor is expected to fill the void created by the withdrawal of CPL veteran Shoaib Malik, who is currently on tour with Pakistan in the UK.
"Shoaib Malik has got a fantastic record, especially in Twenty20 cricket and especially for Guyana as well," Taylor said. "I think he has got that anchor role - and a role that I'll be looking to do as well," the Kiwi batsman said.
"Every team is stacked with quality spinners and we expect spin to play a big part and probably reverse-swing throughout the whole tournament," he said. "Traditionally, it does spin a lot here anyway, so the way you play spin is going to be very important. Some of the world's best spinners are here, and it's going to be a good test for us batsmen going forward," said he.(UNI)