IND vs NZ | Still feel I'm good enough and have a lot to offer, claims Ross Taylor
Ross Taylor has dismissed talk of retirement ahead of the two-match series against India claiming that he is still good and hungry to score runs for his country. He will become the first cricketer ever to play 100 internationals in all formats on Friday when he steps on the field in the opener.
Close to 18,000 international runs with 40 hundreds — more than any other Kiwi cricketer — and a career that is approaching 15 years. And yet, as he inaugurates a unique club based on career milestones when the Black Caps take on Virat Kohli's men at the Basin Reserve, Taylor is eager to add as many as he can before he calls it a day.
"It's nice to start the club. I'm sure over the next few years, there's going to be a lot more to join in. I still feel like I'm good enough and have a lot more to offer this team, both on and off the field. I'm still as hungry as ever to score runs. I love playing cricket, first and foremost. It's not a job," Taylor told AFP.
Though illustrious overall, Taylor's career has not been one without its ups and downs. The veteran batsman has been part of two World Cup final losing sides — the latest one still in fresh in the memory — and was also dropped as captain during the 2012-13 season. But the 35-year-old did demonstrate his hunger to keep improving earlier this month when his unbeaten century, in the first ODI against India, helped rejuvenate the Black Caps and kick them on to a 3-0 series sweep over their visitors.