New Zealand’s Ross Taylor had a special relation with Pallekele and continued that love affair in the first T20I against Sri Lanka on Sunday (September 1).
Pakistan were at the receiving end in the 2011 World Cup as Taylor clouted seven sixes in his unbeaten 131 off 124 balls which led to a comfortable New Zealand victory.
Taylor wound back the clock in a shorter but similarly effective batting onslaught, smashing 48 off 29 balls to earn the man-of-the-match and a five-wicket win in the T20 series opener in Kandy.
“It’s nice to know what your role is. We’ve got a lot of young and exciting players and I suppose they need a bit of experience at the other end to talk them through it,” Taylor was quoted as saying.
“You’re a long time retired and I’ve got a few years left,” he said.
The next game is back in Kandy, on Wednesday (September 4), where stand-in captain Tim Southee will chase his fifth victory from as many T20 internationals at the helm.
