New Zealand‘s campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024 has come to a disappointing end after successive defeats against Afghanistan and West Indies. This marks the first time since 2014 that the Blackcaps have failed to reach the semi-finals in a limited-overs World Cup tournament. Despite their thumping nine-wicket win against Uganda at Brian Lara Stadium, which was their first victory in the tournament, New Zealand’s hopes were dashed earlier due to earlier losses.

Announces retirement from T20 World Cup

Adding to New Zealand’s setbacks, veteran pacer Trent Boult has confirmed that the ongoing T20 World Cup will be his final appearance for the Black Caps in this tournament. Boult, the highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in T20 World Cups, made this announcement after the match against Uganda at Brian Lara Stadium. Reflecting on his decision, Boult expressed mixed feelings, stating, “Speaking on behalf of myself, this will be my last T20 World Cup, so yeah that’s all I have to say,”

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Reflections on New Zealand’s performance

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Boult acknowledged the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket and expressed disappointment at New Zealand’s failure to qualify. “I think, in T20 cricket anything can happen. We’re devastated to not qualify. We’ve been outplayed earlier in the tournament and, we haven’t qualified for good reason so it’s unfortunate but that’s how T20 cricket goes,” 

Despite the disappointment, Boult paid tribute to his bowling partner Tim Southee, emphasizing their strong bond both on and off the field.

“I look at it with very fond memories. We bowled a lot of overs together. I know the partnership very well, and obviously a very good friend on and off the ground. So yeah, nice to wind back the clock a little bit and see a bit of swing bowling at the top. Hopefully, a couple more still to come,” the 34-year-old added.

Optimism for New Zealand’s future

Looking ahead, Boult remains optimistic about New Zealand’s cricketing future, highlighting the potential of the team’s young players. Despite the early exit from the T20 World Cup, Boult believed in the growth and development of the team in the coming years. New Zealand will play their final group stage fixture against Papua New Guinea at Brian Lara Stadium on June 17, aiming to end their campaign on a positive note despite the overall disappointment of not progressing further in the tournament.

“It’s a hard one to forecast. Like I said there’s a lot of pride in the dressing room and playing for the country. We’ve had some great records across the however many years and it’s something that we don’t look at too much. I think 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 I think it will continue to go that way,” Boult concluded.

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