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Picture Credit: Twitter

Former New Zealand cricketer Ross Taylor has been widely regarded as one of the best to grace the game. In his 16-year long career, Taylor shattered several batting records and brought numerous laurels to his name and country. In the latest development, the former New Zealand batter has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's birthday honours.

The information was notified via BlackCaps' official Twitter handle on Monday. "Congratulations, Ross! Ross Taylor has been recognised for services to cricket and Pacific communities, being made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours," BlackCaps tweeted.

The father of three expressed his gratitude for the recognition and said that he was delighted to acknowledge his service to the nation.

"You win Man of the Match awards and win trophies and Player of the Series awards, but this extra special and from where it comes from and what you've achieved to have received it is something that I am proud of," he said.

Taylor also commented on how he feels like watching the game as a spectator and not being in the middle for his team.

"England was one of my favourite places to tour and play at Lords and all of those other things, but I'm still happy with my decision. I'm enjoying watching from the other side, and I'm looking forward to being a fan and a supporter in the years to come," he added.

Taylor also hinted that he might turn towards domestic cricket or overseas tournament as he stated that he has been attending the same training since he retired. "I haven't hit as many balls, but I'm still training as I'm playing cricket. The treadmill is getting a bit of a hammering at the moment, cricket is almost easier than the training side of it, but it is nice to be still active and nice to know that you're still going to be playing some cricket," he concluded.

Taylor played 236 ODIs, 112 Tests and 102 T20Is for New Zealand in a career spanning from 2006 to 2022. He finished his international career with 18,199 runs across all formats, including 40 centuries and 86 half-centuries.