New Zealand veteran Ross Taylor isn't fully confident of making it to the next year's T20 World Cup, given concerns around fitness and form as he will have crossed 37 when the tournament takes place in India.
Last week, the ICC decided to shift this winter's T20 World Cup in Australia to 2022 due to the logistical challenges faced amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the rights for the 2021 edition of the flagship event were kept with India.
Taylor became the first New Zealand men's team player to turn up in 100 T20Is in February against India. The right-hand batsman is currently in Trinidad for a month-long Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020.
"Oh! Not sure," he said as per ESPNcricinfo on being asked whether he will be part of the Kiwis' campaign here in India for the T20 World Cup.
"As you get older, things slow down a little bit, but your training and experience and your mind become even more important."
Taylor hasn't played any form of competitive cricket since March when the ongoing pandemic had just started firming its grips and New Zealand's ODI series in Australia had to be postponed indefinitely.
The cricketer said it will be quite "strange" for not just him but everyone to play after such a lengthy break in CPL 2020, beginning August 18.
"Yeah, it has been a strange time all around. I haven't gone this long without playing any cricket since I was in high school. So, yeah obviously isolation and all those other things are a little bit strange, but it is what it is," said Taylor, who will play for Guyana Amazon Warriors.
"You know it's going to be strange for everybody at the CPL. Nobody has played international cricket for a while, so everyone is going to be nervous, I'm sure. So, training and early games are very important."
"The atmosphere in Twenty20 cricket is a lot of what you play and we get the best crowds in that format. So, to play in front of nobody but knowing that people at home will be watching and cheering us on, it's going to be a bit strange, but at the same time something that we're going to get used to," he signed off.
(Inputs from PTI)
