Ross Taylor announces retirement from Tests after Bangladesh series; ODIs later

Ross Taylor New Zealands most successful Test batter has announced he will retire from the longest format of the game following the upcoming series against BangladeshTaylor on Thursday confirmed that the current summer will be his last for the BlackCaps marking the end of a remarkable 16year international careerAccording to New Zealand Cricket NZC Taylor signalled his intentions on the eve of the Test series against Bangladesh starting in Mount Maunganui on Saturday confirming the twomatch series would be his last in the redball cricket before bowing out in the ODIs against Australia and Netherlands later this summerThe 37yearold has been a mainstay in the New Zealand batting since making his debut in 2006 setting a number of records and achievements including becoming the highest run scorer 18074 for New Zealand in international cricket and appearances 445 chartsTaylor acknowledged it wasnt an easy decision to make but felt the time was rightIts been an amazing journey and I feel incredibly fortunate to have represented my country for as long as I have he was quoted as saying by NZCIts been such a privilege to play with and against some of the greats of the game and to have created so many memories and friendships along the wayBut all good things must come to an end and the timing feels right for me I want to thank my family friends and all those who have helped me get to this pointTherell be plenty of time for more thankyous and reflections later in the season but for now I want all my energy and focus to be on preparing and performing for the BlackCaps this summerTaylor said he would remain available for Central Districts until the end of the season before making a decision on whether to continue playing domestic cricketTaylor has scored the most runs for NZ in Tests 7584 and is one of only four New Zealanders to play 100 Tests at 110 Tests he joins Daniel Vettori 112 Stephen Fleming 111 and Brendon McCullum 101 on the listCoach Gary Stead told New Zealand Cricket that Taylor would undoubtedly bow out as one of New Zealands greatsRoss has always been a hugely respected member of the side and were thankful for his contributions to the BlackCaps over an incredible careerHis skills and temperament as a batsman have been worldclass and his ability to perform at such a high level for so long speaks volumes of his longevity and professionalismHis experience has held the side together on countless occasions and his catching record speaks for itself Theres no doubt were going to miss him when hes goneSeeing him hit the winning runs in Southampton to help win our first ICC World title is a moment I will never forget and Im sure its the same for many of the fansI know Ross is really focused on performing well in these remaining series and going out on the right noteNew Zealand captain Kane Williamson who is unavailable for the Bangladesh series while he rehabilitates an elbow injury said Taylor had given his all to the New Zealand team over the years and wished him well for the upcoming two TestsRoss has been at the core of the side for so long and can be extremely proud of having brought the game in this country to a better placeHes a world class player our best with the bat over such a long period of time and personally its been a pleasure to be involved in so many partnerships with him across the formatsWeve shared some pretty cool moments together most recently the World Test Championship Final which was obviously really specialAs a senior player and a leader in the group hes been a fantastic support person for me especially out there in the field being able to tap into his experienceIts a really exciting time for Ross when he can reflect on so many amazing moments throughout his career and I know all the guys are also looking forward to sharing the occasions with him as he is such a special player to this teamNZC chief executive David White said everyone knew this day would eventually arrive but noone wanted it toRoss has been such a successful and influential part of the BlackCaps in all three formats that its hard to imagine the side without him he saidHes been a colossus in the Test team one of the chief contributors to the success New Zealand has achieved over the past eight or nine years and one of our few true batting greatsAnd hes also been a giant of the white ball formats particularly the 50over game in which hes excelled He is the only cricketer in the world to play 100 matches in each of the three formatsWhite said Taylor was a leader a fighter and a terrific example for all who played alongside and against him Hes very much earned the mana and respect he carries todayThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for the dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the contents in its absolute discretion for 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