Cricket has seen a lot of famous duos with the ball. In the 90s their was Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram, and then later Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. James Anderson and Stuart Broad and Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are other famous duos, and probably the most prolific, and are still going strong. Not far behind though are Trent Boult and Tim Southee.

At the moment, Tim Southee and Trent Boult are among the list of greatest duos in the game. Their legacy in Test Cricket remains the strongest as they have 664 wickets together. In white ball cricket too, both played central roles in New Zealands run to the 2015 Finals, and 2021 World Cup as well. The pair took 21 wickets last World Cup, as New Zealand made it to the Finals. In the current tournament as well, the Boult-Southee duo are creating an impact, and showing their worth as New Zealand’s all-format new-ball pair.

In the first game, Finn Allen and Devon Conway stole the show. Silently however, Tim Southee and Trent Boult came out and did what they’ve been doing for over a decade. Together, they took five wickets for 30 runs, derailing Australia’s chase. The spell helped both get a win in Australia, as the pair used their skill nicely to put pressure on Australia.

Over the years, the pair has developed a strong set of skills which were on display in the first game. They started their careers with a lot of pace and can still reach the high 130s. Both are really good exponents of swing, and are among the best with the moving ball. Tim Southee though came out with an other variation. Against Mitchell Marsh, he bought out an off-cutter, to deceive him perfectly. The spell against Australia showed how they evolved over the years.

In this tournament, with the new-ball swinging, Boult and Southee continue to be a handful. While Southee took three against Australia, Boult followed up with a four for against Sri Lanka. Tim Southee started his journey back in 2008, while Trent Boult joined him in 2011. Since then, the pair has gone on to become legends of New Zealand Cricket. With 664 wickets, a World Test Championship and a few World Cup Finals together, they have achieved a lot.

The question though is how long the pair will continue playing together. While Tim Southee remains commited to New Zealand Cricket, Trent Boult is starting to take a different path. He did not accept a central contract, in a bid to secure his future by being available for franchise cricket around the globe. While Tim Southee is unlikely to go anywhere, Trent Boult remains uncertain. He has indicated his intentions of playing the 2023 World Cup, which could be the last event both play together, if this World Cup is not the last one. Trent Boult remains a worthy selection, and a tough player to leave out, which could help him when the World Cup comes around.

In Test cricket though, the equation is different. With the T20 calendar filling up, it will be interesting to see how he finds a chance to play Test cricket. He has again indicated his desires to play the longest format, hoping he did not play his last game in it. New Zealand has a tour to Pakistan later in the year, and he has given his availability. With scheduling conflicts though, it is clear that the two bowlers, who were together since their under-19 days have their matches numbered. They now have one target ahead though. As New Zealand’s main bowlers in the ongoing T20 World Cup, they will continue playing together, giving fans a chance to savor a set of bowlers who they are going to be tough to replace.