Ross Taylor

'I don't walk anymore'

He likes cooking, a bit of red, and just may have ended up a chicken farmer. Meet Bangalore's man of the moment

	Taylor hits up a storm in last week's game against Chennai © Associated Press

I'm guessing you know that you are the second Polynesian player to represent New Zealand. Who's the first?
Murphy Su'a

Are you a walker?
I used to be… I'm not now. A couple of bad decisions made me change my mind on that.

What odd job assigned to you in the dressing room do you hate the most?
The one you don't like doing is being appointed as the coach's or physio's assistant. That entails a lot of running around.

Who is the biggest gambler in the team?
Kyle Mills and Brendon McCullum like to have a bet normally. I'm not much of a gambler. I've given it a go, but I'm not really good. I would rather not say the most I've bet.

Can you cook?
Yes, I enjoy cooking. In fact, I write my recipes down.

What's the best dish you make?
Lamb shanks

Wine - red or white?
I love red.

How do you judge good wine from bad?
The price! Just joking… obviously the taste and the smell.

The most expensive wine you've bought so far?
I still haven't opened it: a 1984 Penfolds Grange.

Do you speak Samoan?
I used to speak it fluently when I was growing up, but after moving to a boarding school I lost touch. I understand most of it, but I'm no more as good as I used to be at speaking it anymore.

How do you say "hello" in Samoan?
Talofa.

Tell us something we don't know about you.
A lot of people don't know my full name is Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor.

Have you ever been criticised by Martin Crowe?
He has been both complimentary and precise at the same time. I enjoy that side of Martin, and other guys who can be straight upfront.

The best and worst headlines you have read about yourself?
"Taylor-made" has become a bit of a cliché now. Anything on the lines of "Why is Taylor in the team?" is never good!

One batsman you would love to imitate?
Sachin Tendulkar.

Have you ever hunted an autograph?
I always wanted to get Sachin's. I finally did at the end of the home Test series recently. We were both in each other's change rooms and I went up to him and asked for his autograph and he kindly obliged and gifted me one of his shirts.

Has any bowler ever hit you and broken your box?
During this one first-class match in England in 2008 I got hit one evening and got hit again the next morning and broke my box. It was painful. I threw the box on to the field and the crowd had a laugh. Since I didn't have a spare box I borrowed Aaron Redmond's and completed my innings. I still don't have a spare box in my kitbag.

If not for cricket what would you use cricket balls for?
To break windows… nah, I don't know, really.

Do you have any bad habits?
I'm very untidy person. My room's always messy.

If you weren't a cricketer what would you be?
A chicken farmer.

Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at Cricinfo

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