World Cup dream Taylor-made for Black Caps great

WELLINGTON: Ross Taylor has been rejected, written off and wracked by injury but the veteran New Zealand batsman is in the form of his life and focused on capping a late career surge by finally lifting the World Cup.

While Taylor has made no formal retirement announcement, he openly acknowledges that, at 35, his fourth World Cup in England and Wales will probably be his last. “England is a great tour to go on. The bus trips, playing at those traditional grounds — I couldn’t think of a better place to be if it is your last World Cup,” he said.

Despite his age, Taylor remains pivotal to the Black Caps’ hopes of going one better than their appearance in the 2015 tournament final and claiming a maiden title. He is New Zealand’s most prolific run-scorer in one-day internationals, with 8,026 in 203 innings, giving him the highest ODI average of any Black Cap at 48.34.

The right-handed Taylor, who also has more ODI hundreds (20) than any other Kiwi, has hit new heights late in his 13-year career. Those returns are not bad for a player who only a few years ago was being quietly pushed by the selectors towards becoming a Test-only batsman.

The problem, it turned out, was not slowing reflexes but a growth in the corner of Taylor’s left eye called a pterygium, better known as “surfer’s eye”. While not life-threatening, it obscured Taylor’s vision at the crease and his scores showed a sharp upward tick once it was surgically removed in late 2016.