(AP Photo)

Trent Boult, one of New Zealand’s premier pacers in cricketing history, has declared that the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 marks his final appearance for the Black Caps in this prestigious event.

Throughout his career, Boult has established himself as a standout fast bowler for New Zealand across all formats. His T20 World Cup journey concludes with 32 wickets, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for the country in the tournament, just behind Tim Southee.

In the 2024 edition, Boult emerged as New Zealand’s top wicket-taker, claiming 7 wickets in the four group-stage matches he participated in. Despite his contributions, New Zealand faced an unexpected early exit from the tournament, bringing an abrupt end to their T20 World Cup campaign.

“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.

New Zealand secured their inaugural victory in the tournament with a commanding 8-wicket triumph over Uganda, achieving the target with 88 balls to spare. However, subsequent losses to Afghanistan and the West Indies sealed their unexpected elimination from the competition.

“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.”

Despite not fielding a star-studded lineup, New Zealand has built a reputation for consistently exceeding expectations in ICC tournaments. They clinched the inaugural World Test Championship title with a victory over India at Lord’s. Additionally, the Kiwis made consecutive appearances in the finals of the ODI World Cup in 2015 and 2019. Their impressive run extended to the 2021 T20 World Cup, where they reached the final match.

“There’s a lot of pride in the dressing room and in playing for the country, we’ve had some great records across however many years. Unfortunately, we’ve been off the ball the last couple of weeks and that’s what it takes to not qualify.

“It’s unfortunate, but there’s still some tremendous talent inside that dressing room and coming through the ranks in New Zealand cricket, so we’re a proud nation and we’ll continue to go that way,” he said.

After their upcoming match against Papua New Guinea, New Zealand will shift their focus to their next international commitment—a three-match Test series against England, scheduled to be held at home.