Kiwi batter Martin Guptill days after losing his place in the New Zealand cricket team has been roped in by an Australian side. Guptill who has joined the list of players dropped from the contract will soon be seen donning the jersey in the BBL (Big Bash League) and will bat for Melbourne Renegades.
Trent Boult first made headlines with the news of parting ways with the NZC due to a contract fallout and now Guptill has followed suit for similar reasons. The 36-year-old who has played as an opener innumerable times for New Zealand last played an ODI against Australia back in September and failed to make the cut for the T20 World Cup as Finn Allen was preferred to him. He has not called it a day from international cricket however his chances to play for New Zealand after being released from the contract get minimised as only contract-bound players are prioritised. He has found a haven in Melbourne Renegades where he will be superseding England's Liam Livingston.
The England cricketer had to withdraw from the BBL after his rare inclusion in the Test squad against Pakistan in December. Guptill will be on board with the Melbourne Renegades and will be available for the first ten league matches starting December 28 against Sydney Sixers.
“I’m excited to be joining the Renegades and am looking forward to being part of the Big Bash this season," Guptill said.
“This is a new challenge for me and it will be nice to call Melbourne home for the summer. I’ll be trying to make as many runs as I can to help drive the Renegades back up the ladder and push for team success."
“I’ve crossed paths with a few of the guys over the years on the international circuit and know this will be a great team environment to be part of. I can’t wait to join up with the team after Christmas and play in front of plenty of Renegades fans at Marvel Stadium and in Geelong," he added.
Many moons ago Guptill made a solitary appearance in the BBL which was 10 seasons ago.
“We’re delighted to have a player of Martin’s calibre joining the Renegades and we’re excited that he has chosen to play for our club," Melbourne Renegades General Manager, James Rosengarten, said.
“Martin’s record over a long period of time in the shortest form of the game for New Zealand and in domestic competitions around the world speaks for itself. We know Martin will add a wealth of experience and knowledge to our playing group and look forward to seeing what he can produce in red.
“Signing Martin and Andre over the past month has been a great outcome for our club. With Andre playing the first four matches and Martin joining us from there, we now have a world-class player available for the duration of the tournament which will help give us every chance of success in BBL|12."
The Renegades kick off their campaign on December 15 against the Brisbane Heat in Cairns, before hosting the Sydney Thunder at Marvel Stadium on December 18.
Melbourne Renegades squad (so far): Nic Maddinson (C), Zak Evans, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Martin Guptill*, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Akeal Hosein*, Ruwantha Kellapotha*, Shaun Marsh, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Andre Russell*, Will Sutherland, Mujeeb Ur Rahman*, Jon Wells.
