New Zealand pacer Trent Boult has shown a desire to represent his country at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in India later this year.
The 33-year-old pacer was released from his central contract in August 2022 at his own request as he wanted to spend more time with his family and play franchise cricket.
The last time Boult played for New Zealand was in the semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 against Pakistan which ended up in their defeat. He has not played a Test during last year as the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) prioritised contracted players.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, the left-handed pacer stated that he feels fortunate to have played for the Kiwis for the last 13 years. He also stated that he wants to play for his country in the upcoming 50-over World Cup.
"I've still got that big desire to play for New Zealand. It is what it is: I've made my decision. I've been lucky enough to have a 13-year career in the Black Caps, and hey, I've still got a big desire to play in the World Cup as well. We'll see how that unfolds: there's still a bit of movement in the landscape at the moment," Boult said.
He also talked about his interaction with the New Zealand captain after the 2019 World-Cup final, which they lost after a nail-biting face-off with England.
"I remember after the 2019 final, I said to Kane [Williamson] that we've got to be there again, come 2023 in India. It's a shame with what's going on with his knee, but he'll be working as hard as he can to try and get there. It's such a great tournament… One hundred percent, I've got that desire to be out there," he concluded.
Boult, currently playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 16, has 10 wickets in eight matches.
- Trent Boult