Former New Zealand star Ross Taylor shocked cricket fans by announcing his return to international cricket at the age of 41. The veteran batter, who retired in 2022 after scoring more than 18,000 runs for the Black Caps, will now play for Samoa in the Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier in Oman.
Taylor became eligible to represent Samoa after completing his three-year cooling-off period in April 2025. His comeback adds him to a rare group of cricketers who have represented more than one country on the international stage.
While names like Eoin Morgan (Ireland and England) and Roelof van der Merwe (South Africa and Netherlands) are well known, there are many others who fans may not realize also played for two nations. Let’s look at some of them.
Ross Taylor’s Samoa Comeback And Cricketers Who Switched
Rusty Theron
Rusty Theron, a South African fast bowler, was famous for his deadly yorkers. He represented South Africa between 2010 and 2012 in both ODIs and T20Is. Unfortunately, injuries cut his career short, and he retired from South African cricket in 2015.
After serving his cooling-off period, Theron switched to the USA cricket team in 2019. He went on to play 14 ODIs and nine T20Is for them, taking a total of 55 wickets across both formats.
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Geraint Jones
Most fans remember Geraint Jones for his role in England’s historic 2005 Ashes victory, where he took the match-winning catch. Jones was England’s first-choice wicketkeeper from 2004 to 2006, scoring more than 2,000 runs in international cricket.
Later, he represented Papua New Guinea in T20Is in 2014, before retiring completely in 2015. His switch surprised many as he had already been a well-known England player.
Hayden Walsh
Leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr. is well known today as a West Indies cricketer, but he actually made his international debut for the USA in 2019. He played one ODI and eight T20Is for them, taking six wickets.
Later that year, Walsh switched to the West Indies team. Since then, he has become a regular face in their white-ball squads, with more than 50 international appearances and over 50 wickets.
Xavier Marshall
Xavier Marshall started his international career with the West Indies between 2005 and 2009. As an opener, he scored over 700 runs, including a memorable century.
Years later, he joined the USA cricket team and played from 2019 to 2021, scoring over 400 runs in limited-overs matches. His career path showed how players could extend their careers by switching countries.
Anderson Cummins
Anderson Cummins was a fast bowler from the West Indies who played in the 1992 World Cup. He featured in 63 ODIs and 5 Tests for them, picking up 87 wickets overall.
More than a decade later, he appeared for Canada in the 2007 World Cup. He played 13 ODIs for them, proving that even after a long gap, players could revive their careers by representing a new nation.
