NEWS
Follow UsTrent Boult said it’s “great to be back in familiar surroundings” after making an impactful return for New Zealand in the second One-Day International against England. Playing his first ODI for the Black Caps after almost a year, the left-arm seamer claimed 3/37 in seven overs and looked at his absolute with the new ball.
Last year, Boult decided not to renew his contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) with an impending view on making himself a freelance cricketer on the T20 circuit. Even though he had agreed to turn up for New Zealand, deciding not to be their primary employer made things a little hazy.
"It was great to be back in familiar surroundings. It was a very good feeling, chucking back on the black ODI kit - and on the side, the individual milestone of 100 games added to that feeling as well,” Boult said ahead of Wednesday's third ODI at The Oval.
On Wednesday, he was also called up to the New Zealand squad for the upcoming World Cup in India. "Your spot is never guaranteed, and the decision was made over a year ago," said Boult.
"I decided to step aside and fully appreciated that giving my contract back would open the door to other players to come through. Selections were prioritised for the contracted 20 (players) in New Zealand and I fully appreciated that.
"The decision was solely made around time away… with a young family, I couldn't travel as much. It just became too hard. I prioritised my time with them and gave myself a chance to play some cricket around the world, to see what I could learn.
"Selection for the World Cup was never guaranteed and I was never expecting it to be. I had to work for it and I'm very happy to be here. I just hope I can add value and take the tournament very deep, like we have in the last couple of attempts. I feel like we can really push this tournament to the final stages and give it a good crack."
The Black Caps finished runners-up in the last two ODI World Cups, and Boult still can’t get over the 2019 final defeat against England. "What was probably a little bit hard was coming back, after a year, to play for New Zealand, and it's a rain delay and it's the only game playing on the big screens at the ground. That pushed me a little bit.
"The ODI World Cup is that big tournament that everyone wants to be a part of. I've been part of a couple so far and although there seems to be a world event every year, this ODI World Cup has always got a special feeling around it… once we touch down in India, I'm sure the feelings will be pretty strong with a lot of excitement."
