Trent Boult confirms retirement from T20 World Cup following New Zealand's group stage exit - Cricket Winner

Is this the end? For Trent Boult, it is.

“Speaking on behalf of myself, this will be my last T20 World Cup,” Boult announced to the media after an impressive performance, taking 2 for 7 in a largely inconsequential match against Uganda.Boult’s overall T20 World Cup statistics are outstanding, with 32 wickets in 17 matches and an economy rate of 6.07, the second-best among the tournament’s top ten all-time wicket-takers.

At 34, Boult has been a sporadic presence in New Zealand’s international sides since being released from his central contract nearly two years ago. If this is indeed his final T20 World Cup, it might also signal the end of his ODI World Cup career, with the next T20 World Cup set for 2026 and the next ODI World Cup scheduled for 2027.Although New Zealand didn’t make it to the Super Eight in this tournament, Boult still has one last T20 World Cup match remaining, against Papua New Guinea on Monday.

Transition Ahead: Boult’s going marks new era for New Zealand Cricket

Confirmation that Boult will not play in another T20 World Cup sharpens the focus on the future of an ageing New Zealand team. By the time the squad returns home, only three players will be under 30 (with Mark Chapman’s birthday approaching in the next few days).

It’s natural to wonder if this marks the beginning of a transition period for New Zealand, especially after failing to progress out of their group. New Zealand had reached the semi-finals of every ODI and T20 World Cup since 2015.

Boult and Tim Southee played crucial roles in most of those campaigns. In this match, they bowled unchanged through the powerplay, reducing Uganda to 9 for 3 and ending with combined figures of 5 for 11 in eight overs. Boult hinted at limited future opportunities for the duo to play together.

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“I look at the partnership with Tim with very fond memories,” he said. “We bowled a lot of overs together. I know the partnership very well, and he’s a very good friend on and off the ground. It was nice to wind back the clock a little bit and see some swing bowling at the top. Great memories, and hopefully a couple more still to come.”

Earlier in the tournament, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was asked if he saw this tournament as the end of a generation. He replied, “No, I think there are still guys that will be here for some time.”

Nonetheless, New Zealand will soon need to find a replacement for one of their greatest-ever quicks.