Veteran pacer Trent Boult has confirmed the ongoing T20 World Cup will be his final appearance for New Zealand in the marquee-tournament.
Since his debut in 2011, Boult has been a key member of the BlackCaps’ golden generation, participating in multiple finals across all three formats for New Zealand. Additionally, the left-arm pacer has featured in four editions of the T20 World Cup since 2014.
“Speaking on behalf of myself, this will be my last T20 World Cup. That’s all I have to say,” Boult said at the press conference after New Zealand’s nine-wicket win over Uganda.
Whether Boult will continue to play for New Zealand in any capacity remains uncertain as he had opted out of a central contract in 2022, choosing to play T20 franchise cricket around the world instead.
Despite the huge win against Uganda and a game left in hand, New Zealand have already been eliminated from the race to Super Eight with Afghanistan and West Indies clinching the two spots from Group C.
Effectively, New Zealand’s last group game against Papua New Guinea will be the 34-year-old’s last T20 World Cup outing.
“Definitely (it was) not the start we wanted in the tournament. A hard one to take. Just gutted we’re not going any further. But any time you get to represent the country, it’s a proud moment.” New Zealand have been a picture of consistency, having qualified made the semifinals of the showpiece every time since 2014.
