|| AFP ||

Former New Zealand batter Ross Taylor has revealed in his autobiography titled 'Ross Taylor: Black And White' that Ben Stokes was keen to play for the Blackcaps.

Stokes – who moved to England aged 12 when his father, former Kiwis Gerard Stokes, got a professional league coaching job in Cumbria.

He joined the Durham academy and progressed quickly to the senior county team.

Taylor sounded Stokes out while playing with him for English county Durham in 2010.

“He was 18 or 19 and very much a Kiwi. Over a Guinness, I asked him if he wanted to come and play in New Zealand. He was keen so I sent a message to New Zealand Cricket,” Taylor wrote.

“Obviously it didn’t come to anything.’’

“Ben was sincere about playing for New Zealand, but NZC would’ve had to have acted swiftly and decisively and given him some pretty solid assurances,” he added.

Taylor retired from international cricket this year. His career of over 16 years saw him represented New Zealand in 112 Tests, 236 ODIs and 102 T20Is, scoring 18,199 runs overall.