Taylor, who has Samoan heritage on his mother’s side, described in his book ‘Ross Taylor: Black and White’ how he and other teammates endured insensitive ‘banter’ from white players.
RETIRED batsman Ross Taylor has revealed he was offended by race-based remarks in New Zealand dressing rooms and said the country’s cricket board could do more to add Polynesian talent into the sport.
Taylor, who has Samoan heritage on his mother’s side, described in his book “Ross Taylor: Black and White” how he and other teammates endured insensitive “banter” from white players.
Recently retired Test batter Ross Taylor says in an autobiography he experienced racism during his 16-year career in New Zealand cricket. pic.twitter.com/xRmS5VJKOn
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 11, 2022
Taylor, who played his last international match in April, says: “A teammate used to tell me, ‘You’re half a good guy, Ross, but which half is good? You don’t know what I’m referring to’.
“I was pretty sure I did. Other players also had to put up with comments that dwelt on their ethnicity.
“In all probability, a Pakeha [white New Zealander] listening to those sorts of comments would think, ‘Oh, that’s okay, it’s just a bit of banter’.
In his new autobiography, Ross Taylor opened up about how he faced racism in New Zealand cricket 🗣
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 11, 2022
“But he’s hearing it as white person, and it’s not directed at people like him. So, there’s no pushback; no one corrects them.”
Taylor, NZ’s most prolific Test batsman with 7,683 runs in 112 matches, says the episodes left him feeling conflicted.
The 38-year-old adds: “You wonder if you should pull them up but worry that you’ll create a bigger problem or be accused of playing the race card by inflating harmless banter into racism.
“It’s easier to develop a thick skin and let it slide, but is that the right thing to do?”
