New Zealand Cricket releases Trent Boult from central contract; here's why

New Zealand pacer Trent Boult has been released from his central contract by New Zealand Cricket (NZC). It was requested by the pacer himself as he wants to spend more time with his family and play the domestic Twenty20 (T20) leagues, while his international career would be "significantly reduced". The move will likely have severe ramifications for NZ, given the extreme rise of T20 leagues, especially when NZ's domestic season is about to start. In the meantime, Boult is expected to announce his involvement in one of the T20 leagues in South Africa or the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, NZC CEO David White confirmed to ESPNCricinfo that Boult would continue to play in the ongoing West Indies tour and the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

Explaining his decision, Boult said in an NZC statement on Wednesday that read, "This has been a tough decision for me, and I'd like to thank NZC for their support in getting to this point. Playing cricket for my country was a childhood dream, and I'm so proud of everything I've been able to achieve with the Black Caps over the past 12 years."

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"Ultimately, this decision concerns my wife Gert and our three young boys. My family has always been the biggest motivator for me, and I feel comfortable with putting it first and preparing ourselves for life after cricket," added Boult. However, he has confirmed that he is not retiring from international cricket anytime soon.

Aware that his selection for NZ would now be affected, Boult communicated, "I still have a big desire to represent my country and feel I have the skills to deliver at the international level. However, I respect that not having a national contract will affect my chances of selection. As a fast bowler, I know I have a limited career span, and I feel the time is right to move into this next phase."