Paul Thomas - Ross Taylor: Black & White

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of New Zealand

ISBN 978-1-990003-44-8

A Mower Book

Published in 2022 by Upstart Press Ltd

26 Greenpark Road, Penrose

Auckland 1061

New Zealand

Text Ross Taylor 2022

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Design and format Upstart Press Ltd 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Designed by Nick Turzynski, redinc. book design, www.redinc.co.nz

Printed by 1010 Printing International Ltd, China

Jacket photographs

Front: Ross during the second test match between Australia and New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 28 December 2019.

Back: Ross on his way out to bat at the MCG on day three of the second test match between New Zealand and Australia, 28 December 2019.

PHOTOSPORT/GETTY

For Victoria, Mackenzie, Jonty and Adelaide and to all my
family and friends, thanks for all your love and support
I couldnt have done it without you.

Faamanuia le Atua i la outou taaaloga

(God bless this game)

Vaai lelei mata

(Literally: Use your eyes properly. Metaphorically: Stay focused
and keep your head in the game)

Faamanuia i lau ta

(Good luck with your batting)

Faapea foi tou au uma

(Good luck to the whole team as well)

Naoupu Taylors pre-game message to her son, Kelu (Ross)

Inside each of us there are two wolves.
One is evil: it is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity,
resentment, lies and ego.
One is good: it is love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy,
compassion, truth and faith.
Which wolf wins? The one you feed.

TWO WOLVES: A Cherokee Legend

Contents

Foreword

Written just a few months before Martin Crowe passed away, this message was first read by Ross on the eve of the second test match between New Zealand and Australia at Perth in November 2015. His innings of 290 and 36 not out earned him the man of the match award.

Even if Ross hadnt asked me to pen my feelings about his career, his quest for test centuries and his life in general, I would have done it anyway. Since he first cold-called me to talk about helping him with his game in 2006, I have naturally been inclined to want to offer guidance. Such is the nature of the man... I just wanted to be there for him. In a sense, he became the son I never had.

These words will hopefully enlighten those who are interested in knowing the deeper truth about Ross. It also gives me a chance to share my final words with him, to give him one last nudge, to thank him in the most grateful way for the experience of watching his maturity blossom.

What perhaps struck me most about Ross was his shyness a characteristic that had sprung from his humble beginnings. That reserve, though, was accompanied by a warm smile and a genuine care for others around him. His loving upbringing was obvious.

Not so obvious, though, was how quickly and how badly his calm world would become flipped upside down. The depths of despair he would endure following his mean-spirited removal as the national cricket captain in late 2012 cut deeper than most people would have ever imagined.

For the first time in his life, he experienced overwhelming anger, resentment and mistrust. Trust had never been a problem for Ross. But, in a flash, all that was gone such was the rotten odour that permeated his gunning down.

Three years on, Ross responded earnestly and proudly. He kept his head up and achieved more extraordinary feats with bat in hand, all for the team cause. Alas, all that came with a heavy toll. The effort to stay positive and to try to believe again in the meaning of trust exhausted his reserves. During the 2015 Cricket World Cup he was desperately trying to ignite another burner, to get the fire in the belly once more, but it never quite came.

As I write this, Ross is on the wrong side of thirty. He will have had to decide whether he wants to carve out one further rich period, one more fitting chapter to finish his days as one of our finest batsmen. Part of that will have involved remaining disciplined in his physical conditioning, his speed of foot and his endurance all to enable him to push on and cement his name consistently among the top ten test batsmen in the world.

Perhaps to truly do so, Ross needs to chip off the remaining barnacles of an incident that must never be allowed to define him or steer him from his commitment and deep love of the game. All this so he can finish with a satisfied heart.

And yet, this is not so important. The centuries arent the aim any more, for he will at some stage own, or be close to owning, the record for most international centuries for his country. No, the fundamental truth is to find a balance that will carry his love of playing the game through to the end. There is a big picture at play.

It is just sport. And while its a privilege and luxury to be able to flirt with this great game, its nothing like the realities of life. It is as a loving and protective husband, father, son and friend that Rosss peace and fulfilment will ultimately lie. Balancing the real with the lure to chase a game will be his challenge, and the making of him. His beautiful, naturally constructed home life will always be his foundation. No longer will he be rocked and shocked by the frenzied ego on tour. His humble upbringing will ensure he always heads back to the core of who he really is.

Essentially, Ross reveals his deepest truth when reaching a century. He stands modestly still, with arms aloft and tongue sticking out. It is done as a symbol of thanks to his family, friends and fans. It shows his gratefulness for the role he played in entertaining them... In that symbolic moment, his grace of character is on display. He has the respect, admiration and love of New Zealanders and many others around the globe.

As I write these final words, I wonder, with so much of his journey still to come, how it will all end up for him.

My sense is that he will pace himself, lifting massively at times, and all the while carve out that legacy he has longed for since day one. This will allow his true worth, as a New Zealander with strong values, to define him. Deep down, that will please Ross.

I trust in him.

Martin Crowe,
Auckland, 12 November 2015

Prelude: Redemption at the Rose Bowl

At dinner the night before the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, I shared a Covid-protocol table for two with Kane Williamson. He asked me how I was going. Usually, when people ask that question, they dont want or expect a detailed analysis of your mental, physical and emotional state. Theyre really just saying Gday. And we respond in kind with something like, Oh, not too bad. Yourself? But on the eve of what was probably the biggest game of our lives, neither of us was in the mood for idle chitchat.

Id played 442 games for New Zealand, including 107 test matches. Id been through form troughs and pressure periods and a traumatic episode that reverberated for years afterwards. I was a highly experienced, resilient campaigner whod learned how to get through the tough times. Experience is an asset, but theres a downside: some of it is experience of failure. You know things can go wrong; indeed, you know things can go wrong in ways you never imagined. That sort of experience can instil a fear of failure which is inhibiting, whereas youthful naivety can be liberating. Thats why selectors in team sports talk about that desirable mix of youth and experience.