Last Update on: November 19th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
New Zeland’s star pacer Trent Boult is unlikely to feature in the Blackcaps’ home season this summer. However, head coach Gary Stead is confident to have Boult next year. Trent Boult gave up his New Zealand central contract in 2022 in order to become a freelancer. However, he reunited with the Blackcaps for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, where New Zealand made the semi-finals.
Trent Boult has made himself unavailable for New Zealand’s next mission, a two-match Test series in Bangladesh, which also marks the start of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both sides. Instead, Boult will be making his debut in the T-10 format where he will be in action for Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.
After the T10 league, Trent Boult will link up with MI Emirates in the ILT20 league which is UAE’s T20 League. MI Emirates retained Boult’s services and he will feature in the ILT20. The tournament will take place from 19th January to 18th February 2024.
Gary Stead Is Hopeful About Trent Boult Returning To International Cricket Soon
“At this stage, Trent and I still need to have a conversation,” Stead said after New Zealand lost to India in the World Cup semi-finals in Mumbai. “He’s unavailable for the Bangladesh Test series. He’s got other commitments in a T10 league, and then the UAE T20 league as well. I think that eats right into the February time period. So, it looks unlikely that Trent will play too much in our home summer. He may be available for the T20s against Australia. I still need to have that conversation with him.”
New Zealand will face Australia in a three-match T20 series at home. This series could precede IPL 2024, where Boult is among the most sought-after overseas seamers currently representing Rajasthan Royals. The IPL will be followed by the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to take place from June 4 to June 30. Gary Stead hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Trent Boult featuring for the Kiwis in the near future.
“I think there’s every chance [we will see him again] provided his desire is there to keep playing,” Stead said. “I think he’s still a world-class bowler,” he added.
Trent Boult Can Be A Part Of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup Squad
The 34-year-old left-arm seamer is the oldest member of the current New Zealand squad alongside Tim Southee. With Kane Williamson also reaching 33, this might have been the last ODI World Cup for New Zealand’s golden generation. However, Kane Williamson believes that there is still a lot of cricket to be played by this generation of players.
Trent Boult is highly likely to be a part of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad and given his experience in T20 by playing T20 leagues throughout the globe, he will be a key asset for the Kiwis. Boult may have rejected a central contract from New Zealand but he is still one of the most valuable assets for the Blackcaps in megaevents.
