Trent Boult Confirms 2024 ICC T20 World Cup as His Last

New Zealand’s star speedster Trent Boult has announced that the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will mark his final appearance for the Blackcaps in the prestigious tournament.

Boult made this revelation during a press conference, stating, “Speaking on behalf of myself, this will be my last T20 World Cup. That’s all I have to say,” as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Boult’s T20 World Cup journey has been remarkable, with 32 wickets in 17 matches and an economy rate of 6.07, placing him second among the tournament’s top ten all-time wicket-takers. However, the 34-year-old has only sporadically represented New Zealand in international teams since relinquishing his central contract nearly two years ago.

With the next T20 World Cup scheduled for 2026 and the next ODI World Cup for the following year, Boult’s decision may signal the end of his appearances in ODI World Cups as well. Since his debut in 2011, Boult has been a key figure in New Zealand’s cricket, featuring prominently in many finals across all three formats. He has also participated in four T20 World Cups since 2014.

Boult’s future with New Zealand remains uncertain, as he opted out of a central contract in 2022 to focus on playing T20 franchise cricket globally. Despite New Zealand’s failure to advance to the Super 8 of the ongoing tournament, Boult will have one final T20 World Cup encounter against Papua New Guinea.

His confirmation adds to the speculation surrounding the future of New Zealand’s ageing lineup, with only three players under the age of 30 in the current squad. Star batters Rachin Ravindra (24), Finn Allen (25), and all-rounder Glenn Phillips (27) represent the youthful core amidst Boult and Tim Southee, the influential pacer duo, who have been pivotal in many campaigns for the Blackcaps.

Reflecting on his partnership with Southee, Boult expressed nostalgia, saying, “I look at the partnership with Tim Southee with very fond memories. We bowled a lot of overs together. I know the partnership very well, and obviously, he’s a very good friend on and off the ground. It was nice to wind back the clock a little bit and see a bit of swing bowling at the top. Some great memories, and hopefully a couple more still to come.”