Trent Boult eager to represent New Zealand and win the World Cup, says 'as hungry as ever'

SportsTak

New Zealand's ace left-arm pacer, Trent Boult, has expressed his renewed zest to represent his nation, eyeing a World Cup win. This comes after he sidelined ODI cricket for nearly a year, prioritizing his T20 franchise career following his decision to decline a national contract.

 

Set to rejoin the ODI squad for the upcoming series against England, Boult's inclusion also aligns with New Zealand's World Cup aspirations in India. Boult, having experienced the heartbreak of losing in the finals of the last two World Cups to Australia and England, remains optimistic about the upcoming edition.

 

Reflecting on his decision, Boult mentioned, "It wasn't an easy decision to make just over a year ago to move away from New Zealand cricket bubble in a way." He emphasized his move was not about prioritizing franchise cricket over national duty but to maximize his career lifespan. 

 

He added, "Yeah, definitely as hungry as ever to still represent the country, and hopefully do something special with the guys over the next couple of months. I can't wait."

His motivation for a World Cup victory is evident. "I have always had this in the back of my mind to come back and work towards an ODI World Cup. The times we have had in previous campaigns have been very exciting. So just hungry to get involved, and hopefully play a big role."

 

Fresh from his success with MI New York, leading them to clinch the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) trophy in the US, Boult also emerged as the top wicket-taker. His impressive stint was preceded by his role in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Rajasthan Royals (RR). During his time away from the national side, Boult missed 35 international fixtures across formats.

 

New Zealand is gearing up for their face-off against England next month, preluding their World Cup campaign. With 39 wickets to his name in the ODI World Cup, Boult stands as New Zealand's top wicket-taker across two editions. With an unwavering focus, Boult stated, "I'm just thinking about hopefully lifting something pretty shiny that we were pretty close to four years ago."

 

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