“I know most of his tricks so I’ll definitely be hunting him from the first ball,” Taylor said about playing against his friend Akeel Hosin.
By ESPNcricinfo Staff
American opener Steven Taylor is David Rudder’s Rally through the West Indies Taylor will face the team he supported growing up in Barbados on Friday night in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Born in Florida to Jamaican parents, Taylor also has his sights set on his friend Akeel Hosin, saying he’ll “go for it with the first ball” at Kensington Oval.
Taylor grew up on the southeast coast of the United States but is a West Indies fan through his family tradition. He said it was a “great feeling” to play against the West Indies on Friday, saying, “I’m representing my parents and my Jamaican heritage. At the end of the day, I may have been born American, but sometimes I speak more Jamaican than American.”
A loss would not mathematically eliminate the U.S., but they would realistically need to win their final two games to reach the semifinals.
“[I remember] Watch as it grows [Brian] “Having the opportunity to play against Lara and Chris Gayle was fantastic. [West Indies] Now, on the World Cup stage, the biggest stage of my life… I could beat them. It would be an amazing feeling.
Taylor was part of the U.S. team that lost by 39 runs to the West Indies in a 50-over World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe last year, but said the margin of defeat showed the U.S. was capable of beating opponents. “We made them struggle at the end of the game, and we know if we play well on the day we have a chance to beat them.”
About playing against the West Indies, he said, “When I was a kid I used to sing the song ‘Rally’ but at the end of the day I am representing the real country where I was born and raised and I just hope we can win the match against the West Indies.”When asked if he would sing the national anthem on Friday, he smiled and said, “I did last time but in my heart.”
Taylor, who has played for three different CPL franchises and also in community cricket for Jamaica, is relishing the chance to face familiar faces, particularly his former Barbados Tridents teammate Hosein. “He’s a good friend of mine,” Taylor said. “I know most of his tricks so there’s no doubt I’ll be hunting him from the first ball.”
“We know we’re going to be underdogs to every team we play in the Super Eights, so we’re just here to play good cricket. If we play, we win, if we lose, we lose.”Stephen Taylor
Taylor is also looking forward to playing against former teammate Andre Russell. “I played him almost every day,” Taylor said. “I don’t look up to him, but he’s like a big brother to me.”
The United States lost by 18 runs to South Africa in the opening match of the Super Eights in Antigua but drew confidence from Andries Guth’s not out innings of 80 and a strong comeback after an early loss.
“I’d say we’re playing good cricket and the team is coming together well,” Taylor said. “At the end of the day we know we’re going to be the underdogs to every team we play in the Super Eights so we’re just here to play good cricket. If we go in we win and if we lose we lose.”
